OLAVARRIA (FIBA Basketball World Cup 2019 Americas Qualifiers) - Franco Balbi will make his debut in the second window of the FIBA Basketball World Cup Qualifiers, where he will appear in two games. In the point guard position, he plays for Ferro in the Argentine league along Nicolás Laprovittola - but without Facundo Campazzo - he will try to show his aptitude to be in the National Team.

“I took the news calmly to keep growing personally, help and give a hand from wherever I’m appointed. I had worked with many before, but one must always keep learning some new things. It's a new process, where most of the players come from playing in AmeriCup with new systems and concepts, so this stage is for me to adapt. I'm already waiting for the game against Uruguay. To be in the National Team is a challenge that forces us to give 100%.”

“We worked on Uruguay —it’ll be a very tough game— and will play like it's a final. They play a lot in transition, in open court, and in the stationary game they take the ball to Batista a lot in the key. We’ll try to run as much as we can but with them we have to slow the rhythm down and make them play five to five. We have to use Luis’ (Scola) and Nico’s (Brussino) return to our advantage.”

Regarding his debut with the light blue and white jersey, the 6-foot Junín native player who started to play when he was five years old said: “It's truly a joy to be here, to compete and spend time with elite, high competition players. I was working to see if I could have the chance and now I have to enjoy it and give my all in the minutes that I play so that Argentina continue to be undefeated in our road to the World Cup.”

FIBA