Phygital basketball in Croatia and KK Nitui

Phygital basketball in Croatia is still developing. It is therefore important to distinguish local activities, a club programme and the official international pathway under the World Phygital Community, or WPC.

The international WPC system runs through Origins, Rivals, Contenders and the Games of the Future. A Croatian club looking to compete in that environment must follow the regulations of each event, its registration conditions, roster requirements and qualification pathway for the season.

The relationship between local and national tournaments, international qualification and the Games of the Future is explained in The phygital competition system: Origins, Rivals, Contenders and Games of the Future.

KK Nitui builds phygital basketball on its existing basketball work, 3x3 experience and digital preparation. The format requires a team to play two-on-two on court and to perform in the official digital stage of a match.

This approach enabled the Zagrebački mališani Nitui team to compete internationally. The club represented Croatia in phygital basketball within the WPC system.

The Zagrebački mališani Nitui team won Phygital Contenders Astana 2026 in phygital basketball and qualified for the Games of the Future 2026.

In the final against Minsk, Nitui led 19:18 after the digital stage and won the match 38:27 overall. The result illustrates the core logic of phygital basketball: a digital advantage carries over to the court, but the winner is determined by performance across both stages.

Following the Astana Contenders, ZM NITUI was ranked second in the WPC global phygital basketball standings for qualification to the Games of the Future 2026.

The Games of the Future are the world phygital championship, bringing together clubs and athletes across several disciplines. Phygital basketball is part of its core programme.

Sixteen clubs competed in phygital basketball at the Games of the Future 2026. KK Nitui’s appearance continued the qualification pathway from Astana; it was not an invitation outside the competition system.

Such events give a club the opportunity to face international competition in a format that requires both digital and physical basketball readiness.

Phygital basketball is generally played in an open category from the age of 16 and is open to female and male athletes.

For younger age groups, phygital can be a way to become familiar with the connection between video gaming and real movement, but competition conditions, age limits and categories are always set by the organiser of the programme or tournament.

Through its phygital programme, KK Nitui approaches the format as a sporting activity: the digital part does not replace training, but is connected to on-court work, team play and an understanding of basketball.

A first step can be an existing basketball club, a school activity, a group of players or an introduction to the format through a club programme. To enter an official tournament, it is necessary to check the organiser’s regulations, especially age conditions, team composition, the digital title and the schedule.

For player development and training, see the existing Player Development page. To contact KK Nitui, see the existing Contact page.

This guide simplifies the Croatian and international context to provide a clear starting point. Schedules, qualification conditions, categories and rules for individual events change between seasons and organisers. For complete and current information, use official sources.