MIES (Switzerland) - The 2020 basketball calendar endured a major disruption because of the coronavirus pandemic but the sport's back in full swing in 2021.

Big events, including the Men's and Women's Olympic Basketball Tournaments are set to take place around the world this year, which also marks an important Olympic milestone for 3x3 basketball. 

We've hand-picked some of the most exciting senior national team competitions to look forward to.

FIBA Women's EuroBasket (June 17-27)

Spain are gunning for a third straight FIBA Women's EuroBasket crown after winning in 2017 and 2019 

Spain and France will jointly stage the FIBA Women's EuroBasket 2021. The Rhenus Sport in Strasbourg and the Pavello Fuente de Sant Lluis in Valencia will each host two pools of the Group Phase and the corresponding Quarter-Finals. The Final Phase of the competition will be held in Valencia. Spain are going after a three-peat after beating France in the Finals of the last two editions of Europe's flagship women's basketball event.

FIBA Women's AmeriCup (June 19-27)

The USA reigned supreme at the FIBA Women's AmeriCup 2019 staged in Puerto Rico

The dates have been set for the FIBA Women's AmeriCup 2021, a competition last won by the United States of America in Puerto Rico in 2019. The venue for the event has yet to be announced.

FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournaments (June 29 - July 4)

Croatia (above), France and Serbia each won a FIBA OQT in 2016 to reach the Rio Olympics

All eyes will be on international basketball in late June and early July as four FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournaments (OQT) will be staged in Canada, Croatia, Lithuania and Serbia. Six national teams will compete at each venue with the winners of each OQT clinching a place in the Olympics.

Men's Olympic Basketball Tournament (July 25 - August 7)

USA will take aim at a fourth consecutive Olympic gold medal in Tokyo

The three-time defending champions United States of America will attempt to capture a fourth gold medal in succession for the first time in the modern era when they travel to Japan next summer. Among the other teams at the event will be FIBA Basketball World Cup 2019 winners Spain. The Spanish claimed their first World Cup triumph in 2006, in the same Saitama Arena where the 2020 Olympic competition is to be staged.

Women's Olympic Basketball Tournament (July 26 - August 8)

The USA were all smiles after capturing gold at the Rio Games, the women's sixth straight Olympic title

The most successful national team in the history of Olympic women's basketball, the USA, will be looking to hit the ground running again when the women's tournament tips off on July 26. Having reached the top of the podium in eight of the 11 Olympic tournaments, the USA will take aim at a record seventh consecutive gold medal this summer.

FIBA Asia Cup (August 16-28)

  Australia won the FIBA Asia Cup in their first-ever participation by going undefeated in Lebanon in 2017

Defending champions Australia won't have to travel far when the FIBA Asia Cup 2021 is played in Jakarta, Indonesia once, if expected, they qualify for the event. Taking part in the Asia Cup for the first time in 2017, Australia capped a perfect run at the event in Lebanon with a resounding victory over Iran.

FIBA AfroBasket (August 24 - September 5)

FIBA AfroBasket 2021 tips off on August 24 with defending champions Tunisia and juggernauts Nigeria expected to qualify. The event will be played in the spectacular, new state-of-the-art Kigali Arena in Rwanda.

FIBA Women's AfroBasket (September 17-26)

Nigeria marched to the title when Senegal hosted the FIBA Women's AfroBasket in Dakar in 2019

The electric, always engaging FIBA Women's AfroBasket is set to tip off on September 17, with Nigeria looking to defend their title. The venue for the event has yet to be announced.

FIBA Women's Asia Cup (September 26 - October 3)

Japan captured a fourth consecutive FIBA Women's Asia Cup with an unbeaten run in 2019

Japan will take aim at an unprecedented fifth consecutive title at the FIBA Women's Asia Cup when the tournament gets underway in September. It became just the third national team after Korea and China to reach the top of the podium four straight times when the event was held in Bengaluru, India, in 2019. The site of this year's tournament is still to be determined.

FIBA