CHARLOTTE (USA) - France have already qualified for the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2019 and they got more good news as Nicolas Batum confirmed he will be in China this summer, ready for another run at the podium.

The 30-year-old dreams of repeating the feat of 2014, when France claimed a first-ever World Cup medal and he was rewarded for his fine play by being selected to the tournament's All-Star Five.

"The last (FIBA Basketball) World Cup, we had a good result, for sure. We got the bronze and surprised everyone a little bit with our young team. Now we're a bit older, with all the guys coming in, the new guys, we got more experience from the past and it will be exciting," Batum said to Eurohoops.net.

Batum went from 0 to 60 in a matter of seconds during the medal run in Spain in 2014. He put up 35 points on 8-of-12 from beyond the arc against Serbia in the Semi-Finals, but that was not enough to fend off Milos Teodosic led team.

But the French 2.04m (6ft 8in) swingman was in fine form in the 3rd-Place Game, too, taking down Lithuania 95-93 with 27 points, booking his place in the all tournament lineup next to Teodosic, Kyrie Irving, Kenneth Faried and Pau Gasol.

Batum feels another podium finish in FIBA's flagship competition should come in China.

"(We're in the) Top 8, Top 5 easily. When you look around at all the other teams, you've got USA, Spain, Serbia, Greece, Australia, China at home...maybe I missed some other teams, but you got us, too! So it won't be easy. It will be an interesting tournament, a great tournament," Batum explained.

France still have to close out the last window of the Qualifiers, but know that no matter what happens, they are in the draw for the first-ever 32-team World Cup. The draw will take place in Shenzhen on March 16.

FIBA