BOITUMELO RANTAO
THE stage is set for the ultimate battle of the hoop to see who will qualify to challenge the highest prize in world basketball – Olympic gold – in 2021.
The draw for the 2021 Men’s olympic tournament took place today and has affirmed spectators’ assumptions that there will be no shortage of entertainment for international basketball fans at this year’s Olympics.
Nigeria, one of Africa’s top teams, will face off against Australia, and the winners of the Olympic Qualifying tournaments (OQT) held in Lithuania and Serbia.
Belgrade in Serbia will play host to Senegal, New Zealand, Puerto Rico, and Dominican Republic. Angola will compete against Poland, South Korea, Slovenia, and Venezuela in Kaunas, Lithuania.
The two remaining Olympic berths available will be settled in Canada and Croatia with Tunisia, Russia, Mexico, Brazil, and Germany being hosted by the latter. Canada will host Greece, China, Uruguay, Turkey, and the Czech Republic.
Men’s draw
Group A: Iran, France, USA, winner OQT (Canada)
Group B: Australia, winner OQT (Croatia), winner OQT (Serbia), Nigeria
Group C: Argentina, Japan, Spain, winner OQT (Kaunas)
Each team has one attempt to defeat the counterparts from their respective groups, thus each team will compete in three first-round games. The top two finishers from each group, and the two best third-place teams, will qualify for the quarterfinals.
The draw was held at the FIBA headquarters in Mies, Switzerland.
“Our collaboration with the NBA and the World Health Organization will ensure that the latest know-how is used for the protection of basketball players, being constantly shared with the IOC and Tokyo organizers,” FIBA secretary general Andreas Zagklis said.
The women’s draw found Nigeria in a tough group B, alongside 7-time gold medalists United States of America (USA), Japan, and France.
Women’s draw
Group A: South Korea, Serbia, Canada, Spain
Group B: Nigeria, USA, Japan, France
Group C: Australia, Puerto Rico, China, Belgium
