Buyalski names Belarus final roster for WOQT

MINSK (2016 Women's Olympic Qualifying Tournament) - Belarus head coach Anatoli Buyalski has kept the core of the team that finished fourth at last summer’s EuroBasket Women for the 2016 FIBA Women's Olympic Qualifying Tournament (WOQT), the country's basketball federation confirmed on Wednesday.

Belarus 12-player final roster for 2016 FIBA WOQT
Natallia Anufryienka	Lindsey Harding	Yelena Leuchanka	Tatsiana Likhtarovich
Kseniya Malashka	Maryia Papova	Yuliya Rytsikava	Katsiaryna Snytsina
Nataliya Trafimava	Tatyana Troina	Anastasiya Verameyenka	Volha Ziuzkova

Maryna Ivashchanka and Sviatlana Kudrashova have been left out of the team, while teenager Kseniya Malashka is set to make her senior debut for her country and Natallia Anufryienka returns to the national side for the first time since the 2014 FIBA Women's World Championship.

As Lindsey Harding, Yelena Leuchanka and Katsiaryna Snytsina were trying to secure direct qualification to the Rio Olympics a year ago, 16-year-old Malashka was making a name for herself with Belarus at the 2015 U16 European Championship Women Division B where she averaged 14.5 points and 11.9 rebounds per game.

At next week's WOQT, the 1.83m forward will be looking to help Belarus secure one of the five places on offer for the 2016 Rio Olympics.

The 12-team event runs from 13-19 June in Nantes, France, where Belarus will compete in Group C against Korea and Nigeria. If they can finish in the top two of their group, they will advance and face a team from Group D - Spain, China or Venezuela - in the Quarter-Finals, with an Olympic berth at stake.

A loss in the Quarter-Final would leave Malashka and Co needing two more wins to progress to Rio.

FIBA