Caballos de Coclé and a great test

COCLE (Panama) - BCL Americas’ second edition will have Caballos de Coclé as one of its main protagonists. This Panamanian team won its country’s last league, which became its first title, after losing two finals. Now, it’s back in the international scene, playing in the biggest continental tournament and it wants it all.

Caballos de Coclé has a great structure, with a basketball that always seeks to shine, which makes it one of the most popular teams in Panama. Alberto Duque, Caballos’ General Manager, shared his feelings about the team participating in the BCL Americas: "It’s extremely important to participate in such a prestigious tournament, and as Panama’s professional league’s champions, to do so in an event as big as this one. For Panamanian basketball, Caballos de Coclé is one of the most emblematic teams, whenever we play, everyone wants to see us because we have an attractive and winning game.”

The coach who’ll lead Caballos is Carlos Morales, coach and son of the continent’s renown former coach and journalist. "I considered Carlos Morales was ready to coach at this level and when we spoke, after thinking about it, he said yes two days later. He was Rosario’s assistant coach in Capitanes de Arecibo and we know the responsibility he’s taking on. He has our full confidence," said Duque about the possibility they’re giving the coach, who will have Nicanor Rivas as assistant.

Caballos’ team has experienced people, such as Josimar Ayarza, its most emblematic player, and last MVP of Panama’s league, and the trajectory of players like Jaime Lloreda and Michael Hicks, and the youth that adapts in the best possible way to a team that wants to chase a dream.

What’s Caballos de Coclé’s objective in this tournament? This is the view of Alberto Duque: "We’re projecting to fight for our group’s first place and to be among the best four teams of the American continent. That’s Caballos de Coclé’s goal, both institutional and sporting, so as to put our country’s name on the top.”

The Panamanian team is in Group A, which will play in Managua against Real Estelí from Nicaragua (3/2) and Titanes from Colombia (4/2).

FIBA