VEN - Stage is being set

CARACAS (FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament) – The countdown is on for the biggest and most important basketball event of all time in Venezuela.

On the 2nd of July, the 12-team FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament (OQT) tips off.

One week later, three teams will have tickets to the London Games.

The president of the Venezuelan Federation of Basketball, Carmelo Cortez, has spoken to FIBA.com about the competition and its significance for the players, coaches and fans in his country.

“This tournament is very important for the whole Venezuelan community,” he said, “from the government, which has worked on all aspects, to everyone who has anything to do with basketball in Venezuela.

“Having a championship of this level means a lot to us.”

The place where all of the games will be played is the majestic Poliedro de Caracas, which is currently being remodelled.

“We are well advanced in construction and all we need for the 'Poliedro' is the perfect condition for the championship," Cortez said.

“And we’re always grateful for the support and recommendations of FIBA.”

The Venezuelan Basketball Federation is working overtime to get this right.

“The organizing committee is focusing on different aspects of each area and we are very advanced,” Cortez said.

“With respect to the stay and care organizations, we are working at a very high rate.

“We have selected the hotels to house the organizations, and of course all have been approved by FIBA.”

The tournament

What everyone accepts is that the 12 national teams from Asia, Africa, Europe, Oceania and the Americas are going to struggle to meet their aim of reaching London.

Greece, Puerto Rico and Jordan are in Group A while Lithuania, Venezuela and Nigeria are in Group B.

In Group C are Russia, the Dominican Republic and Korea and in Group D are The Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, New Zealand and Angola.

Venezuela qualified for the tournament by clinching fifth place in the FIBA Americas Championship 2011 in Mar del Plata.

Their opponents, Lithuania, have played in every Olympics since 1992 while Nigeria, the Afrobasket 2011 bronze medalists, have never reached the Summer Games.

For Cortez no group is harder or easier than any of the others.

“There are no weak teams in this type of tournament,” he said.

“We have to play an excellent game with Lithuania and then another equally good one against Nigeria to advance to the next round.”

Undoubtedly the leader of the Venezuela team is New Orleans Hornets guard Greivis Vasquez.

The 25-year-old Caracas native led his national side in scoring last year with an average of more than 19 points per game.

“He’s a very valuable player for us,” Cortez said.

“I think that he will have a very good performance in this championship.

“He can help the younger players with the experience of his second year in the NBA.”

Vasquez has a flair to his game that makes fans want to turn out in big numbers to watch.

The fans will be hoping that he and the national team is at their best as they take aim at an Olympic berth.

FIBA