Cameroon announce final roster for WOQT

PIACENZA (2016 FIBA Women's Olympic Qualifying Tournament) - Cameroon's new head coach Stefano Bizzozi on Tuesday confirmed the final roster for the 2016 FIBA Women’s Olympic Qualifying Tournament (WOQT).

The WOQT runs from 13-19 June in Nantes, France, and the Cameroonians are set to compete for one of the five places on offer for the Rio Olympics after holding a training camp for almost four weeks in Piacenza, Italy.

Ramses Lonlack, Bibiche Mbiandja and Marie Ange Mfoula - who helped Cameroon to a runners-up finish at AfroBasket Women 2015 - headline the roster, which also includes eight new faces called up by Bizzozi.

Some of the newcomers include the Weledji sisters Tia and Nelly, Italy-born Monique Ndjock - who has just joined Gesam Gas Lucca in Italy's Serie A - and US-born naturalised player Brittany Starling.

International basketball is so much different from college basketball and it is so exciting to be learning from so many great coaches and players. - Weledji

Rounding out the roster is Cathy Yenou, who will be making her first international appearance since AfroBasket Women 2013.

Tia Weledji, a sophomore at Princeton University, spoke of what it means to represent Cameroon and playing international basketball.

"Being able to play the sport I love while representing my country with a chance of participating in the 2016 summer Olympics is something I would have never dreamed of," she said. "International basketball is so much different from college basketball and it is so exciting to be learning from so many great coaches and players."

The Central Africans are in Group A along with Turkey and Argentina.

Bizzozi's team will need at least a win in the Group Phase to advance to the Quarter-Finals where a victory would be enough to ensure them a place in the Olympics. If they lose their Quarter-Final, they can still qualify for Rio by winning two games to claim fifth place.

FIBA