Mexico looks to returning to Olympic basketball event

The Mexican basketball team may be about to make its return to the Olympic Games, in which it has not participated since 1976.

To qualify, the national team must win the semifinal of the FIBA Americas Tournament against Argentina or Canada in Mexico City on Friday.

However, it was that same Canada which handed Mexico its first defeat of the tournament on Tuesday, defeating it 94-73.

Seeking to assuage the fears of hopeful fans, Mexico's Spanish coach Sergio Valdeolmillos told the press that his team will "played smart" against Canada, the most probable rival in the semifinals.

He promised that Mexico would play very differently in the semifinals and that he had used the Canada game to rest some key players and give game time to those with fewer minutes in the tournament to date.

Argentina, Canada and Mexico are already assured of a place in the semifinals.

The former president of the Mexican Basketball Federation, Julio Ortiz, expressed his full confidence that Valdeolmillos would see the team reach the Olympics.

On social media, Ortiz wrote that he "warmly congratulated the 12 warriors and their coach. I wish them a lot of luck for Friday. They have shown us how Mexico can shone on the international stage".

The last time Mexico was so close to making the Olympic basketball tournament was in 1992 but it then lost to Brazil and Venezuela during the Portland Pre-Olympic Tournament, missing out on the Barcelona Olympic Games. Endi