QUILPUÉ (DIRECTV Liga de las Americas 2017) - Leones de Quilpué is working toward their participation in the 2017 edition of the DIRECTV Liga de las Americas. The Chilean team is a well-known participant of the tournament, after participating in four of the last five editions of the continental league.

But this time the Leones face the tournament as leaders of the Central Conference of the Chilean National League and with greater momentum, due to the good results accomplished in their domestic competitions in the last stretch of 2016.

Coach Claudio Jorquera, who led the team project from its inception, analyzed the development the Leones have showed and highlighted the importance of the DIRECTV Liga de las Americas in the development of the players.

-This season the team won the Torneo LibCentro and then the Copa Chile, without being favorites. What merits led the team to those conquests?
- An important part of being able to reap success during this 2016 was the investment in the development of young players, who consolidated their maturation by winning those tournaments in this year. In this development process, international participations are extremely important. Participating in 4 of the last Liga de las Americas is a fundamental part in the development process. The average age of the national players is 23 years and despite that low average age, the team combines a lot of experience in our National League and in the LDA. As a club we are committed to the development of a sporting and institutional project and today, at the national level, we are seeing the fruit of this project, which is basically summarized in having an orderly and stable club in administrative and economic factors, betting on good sports results, and that is the product of the development process.

-How important is this participation in the Liga de las Americas for the team’s campaign?
- Its fundamental, because we always struggle to be competitive at this level. Facing the best teams of the continent is a fundamental part of the club's work style. It is important in the present but even more so in the future of this campus. We will continue to develop our basketball.

- Recognizing that experience accumulated by the players and the technical staff of Leones de Quilpué in the LDA, what does the team need to make a quality leap in the tournament?
-We want to take another step, that is clear and we have been looking for that since our 2014 participation. To make that jump we need to demonstrate in this Monterrey Group that we are a team in the middle of its national competition, and that, unlike in previous presentations, we also have experience in international tournaments. We must overcome the individual differences that may exist.

- Is the team going to add the three reinforcement players? Are you going to add national players? Which positions would you like to strengthen?
-We decided to add a third foreign players in the center position. That will be the only addition for this tournament. We are satisfied with group of the national players.

- Did the team start to analyze the rivals of the group, Fuerza Regia (MEX), Guaros de Lara (VEN) and Caballos de Coclé (PAN)?
-In detail not yet, but we know that Fuerza Regia is the leader of their National League with a very good record and like us were on the middle of their local competition. That element makes them a favorite of the group. Guaros de Lara is the defending champion of the DIRECTV Liga de las Americas and the Intercontinental Cup, and it will be a great honor to face them. We know that the Venezuelan National League has some problems. And of Caballos de Panama we know their development in the Panamanian National League. Panamanian basketball has a lot of talent and always make-up good teams for the competition.

FIBA