SHENZHEN (China) - Nestor 'Che' Garcia is going to rely on a group of grizzled veterans for the Dominican Republic at the the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2019 as the head coach called on seven players 30 years or older. 

Garcia knows his men have been through their share of battles. Eulis Baez is 37 years old while Victor Liz and Ronald Ramon are both 33 years old, Dagoberto Pena is 31 and the trio of Juan Jose Garcia, Sadiel Rojas and Eloy Vargas are all 30 years old. 

There is just one player under 26 years of age - that being 25-year-old Gelvis Solano, who played well enough in the build-up for 'Che' Garcia to leave 35-year-old Adris De Leon off the team. The other final cut was 16-year-old phenom Jean Montero.

Garcia took over the head coaching post from Melvyn Lopez in March 2019 after the latter guided the Dominicans to their third trip to the world summit - and second straight. The new coach did bring back a major core of the group from the Americas Qualifiers, including seven players who appeared in at least seven Qualifiers games - topped by Victor Liz, Rigoberto Mendoza and Juan Miguel Solano playing all 12 contests.

Garcia will not have the services of the NBA big man duo of Al Horford and Karl-Anthony Towns, but there are four players who already have experience at the highest stage as Eulis Baez, Ronald Ramon, Eloy Vargas and Liz  all played at the last edition of the World Cup in Spain.

After failing to win a game at their first FIBA Basketball World Cup appearance in 1978, the Dominicans beat New Zealand and Finland to reach the Round of 16 five years ago, only to lose to Slovenia and have their dreams ended. 

The Dominicans start their Group G campaign with a must-win game against Jordan on September 1 in Shenzhen.  After that, Garcia's men take on Germany on September 3 and finish the Group Phase with a tough game against France on September 5.

 FIBA