Five nations, including Poland, have been confirmed to host the FIBA Olympic Pre-Qualifying Tournaments, which will take place from August 12-20, 2023. The announcement was made during the FIBA Central Board meeting held recently.
These tournaments provide a chance for 40 countries that didn’t make it to the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023 to compete and qualify for the Paris Olympic Games 2024. By winning the Pre-Qualifying Tournament, a country will participate in next year’s FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournaments, and the winners of those tournaments will get to participate in Paris.
The tournaments will be held in different locations around the world. Lagos, Nigeria will host the Group Phase and Final Phase of the tournament for Africa. Argentina, on the other hand, will host the Group Phase and Final Phase of the tournament for Americas, with the specific city yet to be confirmed.
For Europe, two tournaments will be held with the first tournament to be hosted by Istanbul, Turkey, and the second to be hosted by Poland and Estonia. Gliwice, Poland will host the Group Phase and Final Phase of the second tournament, with Tallinn, Estonia, hosting the Group Phase.
The Draw Principles for the participating teams will be based on the FIBA World Ranking Men presented by Nike. The participating teams have been distributed in different pots, and by the draw, they will be assigned competition numbers and distributed in groups.
The winners of the five FIBA Olympic Pre-Qualifying Tournaments will have the opportunity to participate in the FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournaments to be held in July 2024.
Poland’s selection as one of the hosts for the FIBA Olympic Pre-Qualifying Tournaments is a significant achievement and a testament to the country’s commitment to the sport of basketball. The tournament will provide an opportunity for Polish basketball players to showcase their skills on their home turf and compete against international teams.
Poland’s hosting of the tournament will undoubtedly bring excitement and enthusiasm for basketball fans in the country, and it will be a chance for the nation to demonstrate its love and passion for the game. The tournament will undoubtedly have a significant impact on the sport of basketball in Poland and will help elevate the country’s basketball culture and reputation globally.
In conclusion, the announcement that Poland will host one of the FIBA Olympic Pre-Qualifying Tournaments is a great honor for the country and its basketball community. It will provide an opportunity for the nation’s basketball players to compete against high-level international teams and showcase their skills to the world. We wish Poland the best of luck in hosting a successful tournament and hope to see their team qualify for the 2024 Paris Olympics.