Panama will have 'to fight and battle' to survive in AmeriCup

PANAMA CITY (FIBA AmeriCup 2017) - Panama believe they are going into a "Group of Death" at the FIBA AmeriCup 2017 and that only a combative approach is going to give them a chance to be successful.

A national team that is to be coached for the second straight summer by Spaniard Joaquin Ruiz Lorente, the former boss of CAI Zaragoza, Panama will square off against the United States, the Dominican Republic and hosts Uruguay in Montevideo.

Highly-rated coach Ruiz Lorente led Panama at the Centrobasket

Panama Basketball Federation president Jair Peralta, who once played for the national team, said to diaadia.com.pa: "I say this like a player. When we were in groups of death, we had to go and fight and battle it out. I believe that Panama characterises itself for raising its game against those types of teams. 

"It could be said this is a group of death, but in these type of tournaments, you are playing against the best teams in the Americas."

The best team from each of the three groups will advance to the Final Phase, along with Argentina, who will automatically qualify because of its status as the main organizer of the competition. Argentina will host Group A in Bahia Blanca (August 27-29) and the Final Phase in Cordoba (September 2-3).

Peralta always gave his best for Panama on the hardwood

Panama, who finished seventh at the FIBA AmeriCup 2015 in Mexico City under David Rosario, hosted the Centrobasket last summer and came in fourth with Ruiz Lorente the coach.

FIBA