Canada excited about challenges in Group H following World Cup Draw

TORONTO (Canada) - The way Canada hit the ground running and won all but one game in the Americas Qualifiers is proof that this country means business heading into the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023.

Canada, the first country to qualify for the 32-team event that's being played in the Philippines, Japan and Indonesia, need to have a determined mindset following Saturday's Draw in Manila, where the team ended up in one of the most competitive First Round groups of the competition with France, Latvia and Lebanon.

Group H, which will have games in Jakarta, Indonesia, is synonymous with 'Group of Death". Only two of the countries will advance to the Second Round and all four pack a mean punch.

"With France, Lebanon, and Latvia joining us in Group H, each will present a unique set of challenges and varying styles of play," said Rowan Barrett, General Manager and Executive Vice-President of the Senior Men's Program.

"Having connected recently with each of our coaches and players, the team remains committed and focused on achieving the goals we've established as a program."

Canada dominated in the Americas Qualifiers for the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023

Canada have not announced their team yet but could have an awesome one that includes Jamal Murray of the Denver Nuggets and Barrett's son, RJ, a star with the New York Knicks.

The preparation for the World Cup will be vital.

Canada will play five warm-up games in Europe before the World Cup. The team will face Germany on August 9 at the Mercedes-Benz Arena in Berlin, before traveling to Hamburg for the 34th Basketball SuperCup that's being held August 12-13 at the edel-optics.de Arena.

I'M EXCITED TO GET BACK TOGETHER ... AND CONTINUE BUILDING ON A STRONG PERFORMANCE DURING THE QUALIFIERS.

Canada will square off against New Zealand in one SuperCup Semi-Final with a Dennis Schroder- and Franz Wagner-led Germany taking on China in the other game. 

The winners will meet in the Final the next day, when a Third-Place Game is also to be held.

Canada will then travel to Spain for a two-game exhibition series, August 17-18, at the Palacio Municipal de Deportes de Granada where they will face Spain and Dominican Republic before departing for Jakarta, Indonesia.

The Senior Men’s National Team will gather in Toronto for training camp in early August.

"I'm excited to get back together as a group in August and continue building on a strong performance during the Qualifiers," said Canada coach Nick Nurse.

"We've built a challenging exhibition schedule against some of the top federations in the world, which will prepare our team for the tough competition we'll face in Group H and throughout the World Cup."

FIBA