MUNICH (FIBA EuroBasket 2017 Qualifiers/FIBA Basketball World Cup 2019) - Despite the flame on one dream being extinguished, an even bigger one potentially still awaits the teams who did not qualify for FIBA EuroBasket 2017.

The victors are well worth the attention but the campaign was so balanced that the vast majority of the 16 teams that did not make the cut also caused a stir, each in their own way.

Netherlands, for example, went on a four-game winning streak and missed out on qualification only because their global point difference was 16 points worse than Ukraine's when all was said and done.

Cyprus and Denmark reinstated their respective senior national team program this summer following a few years of absence from the European stage and turned heads with their fighting displays. Each claimed two wins in their respective group, while newcomers Kosovo made a historical maiden appearance in international basketball.

The next FIBA EuroBasket tournament will be in 2021 but one of the many advantages of FIBA's New Competition System is that for the 16 teams who did not make it this time around but still want and need to build on this summer’s momentum, a fresh and perhaps even bigger challenge awaits around the corner. Just like this summer, their fans will have the chance to enjoy this from up close as teams will play half their games at home.

It commences as soon as next summer and it might culminate with one or more of these sides making it all the way to China for the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2019. All of them, just by virtue of participating in the qualification cycles, will gain the opportunity to further develop and strengthen the national team programs they worked so hard on this summer.

The 16 national teams that did not qualify for FIBA EuroBasket 2017 have the right to participate in the pre-qualification round that will take place next summer. Eight teams will then qualify to Division A of the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2019 Qualifiers.

This pre-qualification round will be played between 2-19 August 2017 and the eight teams that do not make it to top fight will still play at the same time as Division A teams to participate in the Qualifiers of FIBA EuroBasket 2021.

The FIBA Basketball World Cup 2019 Qualifiers tip off in November 2017 and mark the beginning of FIBA’s new competition system.

FIBA