FIBA Decides Venues For 2012 Olympic Qualifying Tournaments

There was a FIBA Central Board meeting held in Madrid, Spain last weekend and one of the subjects on the agenda was who would host the 2012 Men's and Women's FIBA World Olympic Qualifying Tournaments.  

The OQT's are the last chance venues for national basketball squads who wish to play in London in a few months to win those last available spots in the Olympic b-ball tournament which is scheduled to run during the Games from July 28-August 12..

FIBA awarded the hosting venues for the men's OQT to Venezuela who beat out finalist Lithuania for the honor.   On the women's side Turkey beat out the Czech Republic to host the OQT.. 

The Men's Olympic Qualifying tournament will happen July 2-8 in Caracas and the teams vying for those last three spots in addition to the host Venezuelans are  Angola, Dominican Republic, Macedonia, Greece, Jordan, Korea, Lithuania, New Zealand, Nigeria, Puerto Rico and Russia. 

The women's tournament will be held June 25-July 1 in the Turkish capital of Ankara to determine who gets the final five spots available on the women's side. 

In addition to the homestanding Turks who are trying to play their way into their first ever Olympic games on the women's side, they  will also be joined by Argentina, Canada, Croatia, Czech Republic, France, Japan, Korea, Mali, Mozambique, New Zealand and Puerto Rico. 

Mozambique and Puerto Rico replaced Cuba and Senegal, who qualified for it in zone Olympic qualifying tournament play but withdrew from the Women's OQT.

At any rate, it will be a tough assignment to play though this tournament just to get your Olympic spot, then if you're fortunate enough to get those tickets to London, get ready to play in the Olympic tournament.

But they are going to give it their best shot in late June and early July.

2011 FIBA Americas Women's Championship And Olympic Berth Claimed By Brazil

In the recently completed FIBA Americas men's tournament, the Argentinians faced off against their bitter South American rivals Brazil and came away with the title.   Both qualified for London.

It was deja vu in the 2011 FIBA Americas Championship for Women as it was once again a championship game showdown between Argentina and Brazil with the title and a single Olympic berth on the line.

Both teams came into this game as the unbeaten winners of their respective groups and victors in their semifinal games.   Brazil knocked off the Cubans 66-53 while Argentina escaped with a 61-59 win over a determined Canadian squad. .  

The script was flipped in the final as the Brazilians blew out Argentina 74-33 to win their fifth FIBA Americas women's title and grab the automatic qualifying spot to London.  

In the Third Place game Canada shook off their disappointing semifinal loss to Argentina and claimed the bronze medal by knocking off Cuba 59-46.  

Silver medalist Argentina, bronze medalist Canada and Cuba will represent the FIBA Americas Zone and have one last chance to quality for the London Games women's basketball tournament by playing in the FIBA World Olympic Qualifying Tournament that takes place at a site to be determined from June 25-July 1.

Five sports will be up for grabs, and the FIBA Americas teams will contest them against teams from Croatia, France, Czech Republic, Turkey, Japan, Korea, New Zealand and two from the FIBA Africa Zone that will conclude their women's tournament today.

Senegal is going for their tenth FIBA African women's title when they play in today's championship game against Angola, while host Mali plays Nigeria in the Third Place game. 

Champion gets their ticket punched to London as the FIBA Africa rep, the silver and bronze medalists head to the Olympic Qualifying tournament.

But congrats to Brazil.  They will get to exhale, savor their fifth title and prepare to play in London next summer.

2011 FIBA Americas Women's Championship Tournament In Semifinals

The FIBA Americas Championship for Women is currently being contested in Neiva, Colombia for the lone FIBA Americas ticket to the women's Olympic basketball tournament in London next summer.

After a few days of group competition the ten team field has been whittled down to the four teams left in the semifinal round that kicks off play in a few hours.   

In Group A it was Argentina and Cuba advancing to the semis.  Argentina won a critical September 27 game 65-59 against Cuba that left them unbeaten and on top of the group with a 4-0 record with Cuba finishing second.at 3-1.

In Group B it was Brazil and Canada that advanced to the semis.  Brazil beat Canada.56-39 in their group play matchup on September 25 to finish 4-0 with the Canadians finishing second in group play at 3-1 as well.

The Canadian women ballers road to the semis started with an opening Group B play 72-45 win on September 24 over Mexico.  After the loss to Brazil the next day they thumped Paraguay 77-26 on September 26.   They got a well deserved day off  before closing out group play on September 28 with their 66-49 win over Jamaica to clinch second place in Group B and face Group A winner Argentina. .    

Unlike the guys, the Canadian women have a serious shot at qualifying for London and would rather handle their business now than take their chances in what is shaping up to be a tough qualifying tournament 

In the second semifinal game Group B winner Brazil, who is also unbeaten in this tournament will face off against Group A runner up Cuba..  

The semifinal game winners move on to the October 1 championship game to decide who gets their ticket punched to London as the FIBA Americas rep.   The semifinal losers will square off in the third place game.  
  

The winner will get to exhale, savor their FIBA Americas women's b-ball championship for a moment, then begin their preparations for London. 

The second, third and fourth place teams from this tournament will still have one final chance to qualify for London at the FIBA 2012 World Olympic Qualifying Tournament from June 25-July 1 at a site to be determined  in which the last five Olympic basketball berths will be up for grabs.