PUR – Brazil, Argentina and Dominican Republic in tough Group B

SAN JUAN (FIBA Americas Championship) - South American heavyweights Argentina and Brazil and a potentially potent Dominican Republic have been drawn in Group B of the FIBA Americas Championship that tips off on August 26 in San Juan, Puerto Rico.

Venezuela, who competed at the 2006 FIBA World Championship, and Cuba, ended up in the same pool at Tuesday’s draw ceremony in San Juan.

Canada, Uruguay, the US Virgin Islands, Mexico and hosts Puerto Rico are in Group A.

The tournament is the qualifying event for the 2010 FIBA World Championship in Turkey, with four teams advancing to next year’s big event.

The United States are also in the FIBA Americas but they have already booked a place for Turkey by virtue of their Olympic gold-medal win over Spain.

They are not taking part in the Puerto Rico-based tournament.

The Dominican Republic are hoping to have NBA players Trevor Ariza, Charlie Villanueva, Al Horford and Francisco Garcia in their squad.

The president of the country’s basketball federation, Frank Herrasme, knows that hard games await his team.

"There is an initial disadvantage but it's an advantage in the second round,” Herrasme said of Group B.

“What it does is establishes how vital it is to arrive at the tournament in perfect condition as there is no room to start cold or without synergy in the group."

The top four sides from each group progress to the Second Round in Puerto Rico and take on the national sides that advance from the other pool.

Puerto Rico’s interim president Ruben Nigaglioni said: "This is a favourable placing for us.

“Group B is very hard for the first round considering it has Argentina, Brazil and the Dominican Republic."

FIBA