PUR - Carlos Arroyo "We can go as far as we want"

SAPPORO (FIBA World Championship) - Puerto Rico's hopes of going far in Japan rest on star point guard Carlos Arroyo.

Arroyo is the uncontested leader in Julio Toro's national team and a true legend back in his island.

Much is expected from the 26-year-old Arroyo, who proved to be outstanding at the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens.

He led the Puerto Rican basketball team to a 92-73 victory over the United States, which was the Americans first Olympic loss since 1988.
Competing in his second FIBA World Championship, Arroyo knows his countrymen will rely heavily on him in this tournament but is fired up for the challenge that awaits his nation.

Arroyo told PA Sport's Cindy Garcia-Bennett on behalf of FIBA about Puerto Rico's chances and hopes in Japan.

FIBA: Carlos, Puerto Rico were given a wild card to play in the FIBA World Championship in Japan. How important is it for your nation to be here in Japan?

Arroyo: "Everyone is really excited back home and we are really motivated.

"It's going to be a great experience for us. To have been invited to this tournament is the biggest movitation for us as a team. To be able to represent our country gives me great pride as always. We really want to give a good image in Japan."

FIBA: Puerto Rico is in a challenging Group D with Team USA, Italy, China, Slovenia and Senegal among your rivals. How confident are you about your team's chances of going far in this tournament?

Arroyo: "All of the groups are competitive, at this level, there's great talent and we need to play at our best, with every player given all its effort. We know if we play as a group we are a difficult team to beat. We must play our game regardless of the rival we face."

FIBA: You begin the tournament against Team USA. Is it an advantage or a disadvantage to face such a powerful team early on?

Arroyo:"I hope that it will be an advantage for us. To play from against the best team in the world in the opening game will only give us a big boost in confidence for our next contests. For us it's a great motivation, that is the way we look at it."

FIBA: You were Team USA's biggest enemy at the Athens Olympics two years ago with your 24 points inspiring your team to beat the Americans 92-73. How inspired are you going into this tournament?

Arroyo: "I feel really good. I have been training the whole summer and I feel great physically and I have integrated well to the team."

FIBA: You were part of the Puerto Rico team that finished seventh in the 2002 FIBA World Championship. How is this year's team compared to four years ago?

Arroyo: "We are a more matured side, one improves year to year and we have been able to be more compact, working hard in order to give a good image. "We can go as far as we want. It's down to us. Right now we are thinking about progressing to the next round and then we will see what happens."

FIBA: Julio Toro has coached this national team since 1999, how important has his contribution been for the team so far?

Arroyo:"Julio is simply key to this team. He is our biggest motivator, he gives us so much confidence on the court and he is just a formidable coach."

Cindy Garcia-Bennett
FIBA