URU - Uruguayan national team arrives in Mexico for friendly games:

MEXICO CITY (2009 FIBA Americas Championship) - The Uruguayan national team arrived in Mexico to play three friendly games prior to their trip to Puerto Rico where they will play in the 2009 FIBA Americas Championship to be played from August 26 to September 6 to Coliseo Roberto Clemente in San Juan, Puerto Rico.

The first game will be played on Tuesday in Puebla and it is expected that they play three games until August 21. The Uruguayan team will make their trip to Puerto Rico on Monday, August 24.

The twelve finalists are Martín Osimani, Gustavo Barrera and Diego González (PG); Leandro García Morales and Juan Pablo Silveira (SG); Mauricio Aguiar and Emilio Taboada (SF); Diego Castrillón and Reque Newsome (PF); Esteban Batista, Gastón Páez and Nicolás Borsellino (C).

Center Esteban Batista hopes not to repeat the experience of the 2007 FIBA Americas Championship where they had a great start but slipped in the second round.

"Now we have to think about Puerto Rico and the debut against the US Virgin Islands. I hope that all these years of experience in the big tournament help us so it doesn't happen the same as in Las Vegas. We want to qualify for the 2010 FIBA World Championship which is more possible than other years," said Batista.

Meanwhile Mauricio Aguiar thinks that this is the moment to qualify for the 2010 FIBA World Championship.

"This could be our tournament and we have to add that there are great expectations from everyone to qualify for the FIBA World Championship. We have to be focused."

Uruguay is in Group A along with Canada, Mexico, Puerto Rico and US Virgin Islands. Group B has Argentina, Brazil, Dominican Republic, Panama and Venezuela.

FIBA Americas