Basketball - Beijing 2008: Argentina avoid USA, Spain and China in the group stage

The draw for the basketball olympic tournament that will be played in Beijing in August.

Defending champions, Argentina, were drawn in Group A with European champions, Russia, Australia, Iran, Lithuania and the winner of the forecoming olympic-qualifying tournament that will be held in Athens in July (the main candidates to fill this spot are Greece, Germany, Croatia, Slovenia and probably -depending on the team they present- Brazil or even Canada).

The draw took place in the Olympic basketball venue the brand new 18.000-seat Wukesong Indoor Stadium and the Women's tournament was also scheduled and our ladies will compete for one of the five berths at stake in Madrid in June.

Back to the Men's tournament and then some more information on what will Manu and the rest of the gang have to face in their quest to retain the title.

GROUP A:

Argentina
Australia
Iran
Lithuania
Russia
Qualified 1 (Olympic qualifying tournament champion)

GROUP B:
Angola
China
Spain
USA
Qualified 2 (Olympic qualifying tournament runner-up)
Qualified 3 (Olympic qualifying tournament bronze medallist)


Argentina will make their debut on 10 August against Lithuania. A tough rival to face when you are still not in the thick of the competition and when certain details will need to be adjusted.

On 10 August, our second match will be against Australia and Argentina will be hot-favourites to win it.

They will need to win it because right after that, 12 August, Argentina will face the olympic qualifying tournament champion. A team that will be very difficult to beat and will come with a good few weeks of playing at the top of their game.

Iran on 14 August looks like the easiest game of all, but they'll be no room for mistakes and qualification to the quarter-final may depend on this game.

Russia will be waiting for us on 16 August in what should be a match-up between two of the 8 teams that will be playing in the quarter-finals (at the very least). To add drama to this match, both teams will pretty much know which teams could be their rivals in the following round and avoiding the Dream Team or World Champions, Spain, could be the reward for the winner.

Not an easy schedule, I must say. Not an easy tournament at all. But as always, all my faith and trust are with our basketball legends and I'm sure they'll give all they have to make the best possible campaign.

The following is some additional information taken directly from FIBA's official website.


10th August 2008:

Game 7: Australia vs. Qualifier A
Game 8: Russia vs. Iran
Game 9: Lithuania vs. Argentina
Game 10: USA vs. China
Game 11: Spain vs. Qualifier C
Game 12: Qualifier B vs. Angola


12th August 2008:

Game 19: Qualifier A vs. Russia
Game 20: Argentina vs. Australia
Game 21: Iran vs. Lithuania
Game 22: China vs. Spain
Game 23: Angola vs. USA
Game 24: Qualifier C vs. Qualifier B


14th August 2008:

Game 31: Argentina vs. Qualifier A
Game 32: Lithuania vs. Russia
Game 33: Australia vs. Iran
Game 34: Angola vs. China
Game 35: Qualifier B vs. Spain
Game 36: USA vs. Qualifier C


16th August 2008:

Game 43: Qualifier A vs. Lithuania
Game 44: Iran vs. Argentina
Game 45: Russia vs. Australia
Game 46: China vs. Qualifier B
Game 47: Qualifier C vs. Angola
Game 48: Spain vs. USA


18th August 2008:

Game 55: Iran vs. Qualifier A
Game 56: Australia vs. Lithuania
Game 57: Argentina vs. Russia
Game 58: Qualifier C vs. China
Game 59: USA vs. Qualifier B
Game 60: Angola vs. Spain


Quarter-Finals:

The information below shows only who will be playing whom in accordance with the final standings after the Preliminary Round.

20th August 2008:

Game 65: B2 vs. A3
Game 66: A1 vs. B4
Game 67: A2 vs. B3
Game 68: B1 vs. A4


Semi-Finals:

22nd August 2008:

Game 71: Winner 65 vs. Winner 66
Game 72: Winner 67 vs. Winner 68


Finals:

24th August 2008:

Game 75 (12:00 hours): Loser 71 vs. Loser 72 (3 - 4)
Game 76 (14:30 hours): Winner 71 vs. Winner 72 (1 - 2)

OLYMPIC BASKETBALL TOURNAMENT FOR WOMEN (9th to 23rd August 2008):

Already qualified for Beijing 2008 are: Australia (World Champion), China (host), Korea (Asian Champion), Mali (African Champion), New Zealand (Oceanian runner-up), Russia (European Champion) and USA (Champion of the Americas).

The remaining five women's berths for the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games will be decided in the 12-team FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament for Women that will take place in Madrid (Spain), from 9th to 15th June 2008, and that will feature the following participants: Senegal and Angola (Africa), Cuba, Brazil and Argentina (Americas), Japan and Chinese Taipei (Asia), Spain, Belarus, Latvia and Czech Republic (Europe) and Fiji (Oceania). The draw for the remaining three qualified teams will be held on 15th June 2008 in Madrid, Spain.

Composition of groups:

Group A: Australia, Korea, Russia, Qualifier A, Qualifier B and Qualifier C
Group B: China, Mali, New Zealand, USA, Qualifier D and Qualifier E


Preliminary Round:

The exact game number and time for each of the Preliminary Round games below will be known by 25th May 2008 at the latest. The information below only shows whom is playing whom on which day. The Preliminary Round games will be played at 09:00, 11:15, 14:30, 16:45, 20:00 and 22:15 hours.

9th August 2008:

Game 1: Qualifier A vs. Korea
Game 2: Russia vs. Qualifier B
Game 3: Qualifier C vs. Australia
Game 4: Qualifier E vs. China
Game 5: USA vs. Qualifier D
Game 6: Mali vs. New Zealand


11th August 2008:

Game 13: Korea vs. Russia
Game 14: Australia vs. Qualifier A
Game 15: Qualifier B vs. Qualifier C
Game 16: China vs. USA
Game 17: New Zealand vs. Qualifier E
Game 18: Qualifier D vs. Mali

13th August 2008:

Game 25: Australia vs. Korea
Game 26: Qualifier C vs. Russia
Game 27: Qualifier A vs. Qualifier B
Game 28: New Zealand vs. China
Game 29: Mali vs. USA
Game 30: Qualifier E vs. Qualifier D

15th August 2008:

Game 37: Korea vs. Qualifier C
Game 38: Qualifier B vs. Australia
Game 39: Russia vs. Qualifier A
Game 40: China vs. Mali
Game 41: Qualifier D vs. New Zealand
Game 42: USA vs. Qualifier E

17th August 2008:

Game 49: Qualifier B vs. Korea
Game 50: Qualifier A vs. Qualifier C
Game 51: Australia vs. Russia
Game 52: Qualifier D vs. China
Game 53: Qualifier E vs. Mali
Game 54 : New Zealand vs. USA


Quarter-Finals:

The information below shows only who will be playing whom in accordance with the final standings after the Preliminary Round.

19th August 2008:

Game 61: B2 vs. A3
Game 62: A1 vs. B4
Game 63: A2 vs. B3
Game 64: B1 vs. A4

The exact game number and time for the four Quarter-Finals will be known at the latest on the evening of 17th August. The games of the Quarter-Finals will be played at 14:30, 16:45, 20:00 and 22:15 hours.


Semi-Finals:

21st August 2008:

Game 69: Winner 61 vs. Winner 62
Game 70: Winner 63 vs. Winner 64

The exact game number and time for the two Semi-Finals will be known at the latest on the evening of 19th August. The games of the Semi-Finals will be played at 20:00 and 22:15 hours.

Finals:

23rd August 2008:

Game 73 (19:30 hours): Loser 69 vs. Loser 70 (3 - 4)
Game 74 (22:00 hours): Winner 69 vs. Winner 70 (1 - 2)