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Mexico hosts pre-Olympic 2105 FIBA Americas Championship

Xinhua, September 1, 2015 Adjust font size:

The FIBA (International Basketball Federation) 2015 Americas Championship, a pre-Olympic competition for men's teams on Monday will begin in Mexico City.

The tournament will be held in Mexico City's Sports Palace from Aug. 31 to Sept. 12 and it will grant two tickets for Rio 2016 Olympic Games.

Mexico, led by Spanish coach Sergio Valdeolmillos, will debut against Dominican Republic.

Valdeolmillos steered Mexico to the round of 16 in Spain 2014 World Cup, to be runner-up at Guadalajara 2011 Pan-American Games and continental tournament Venezuela 2013. Now, the Spanish coach will try to make Mexico return to the Olympic Games after a 40-year absence since Montreal 1976.

Mexico will relay on two of its main stars, center Gustavo Ayon, player of Spain's Real Madrid, and point guard Jorge Gutierrez, player of the NBA's Milwaukee Bucks.

Cited by local media, Mexican player Pedro Meza said "We believe we can be winners, our goal is to reach Olympic Games. We want to change and transform the sport (in Mexico), we are in the right track and we seek to finish this stage by getting a ticket."

Mexico will face the Dominican Republic, as part of Group A together with Panama, Brazil and Uruguay. But the Caribbean squad is weak for the absence of three NBA players including power forward Al Horford (Atlanta Hawks), center Karl-Anthony Towns (Minnesota Timberwolves) and shooting guard Luis Montero (Portland Trail Blazers).

Group B includes Canada, Cuba, Puerto Rico, Argentina and Venezuela.

On the first matchday of FIBA Americas Championship the games include Group A's Uruguay-Brazil and Dominican Republic-Mexico and Group's B Cuba-Venezuela and Argentina-Puerto Rico. Endi