MEXICO CITY (2016 FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournaments) - "Nothing is impossible." Those were the words of Mexico coach Sergio Valdeolmillos following this week's draws for the FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournaments (OQTs). Mexico ended up in the Turin OQT, which will be held from 4-9 July.

Mexico fell into Group A with Iran and Greece. Should they finish in the top two of that pool after playing both teams, Valdeolmillos's squad would then go up against Italy, Tunisia or Croatia in a Semi-Final. The two Semi-Final winners will then play a do-or-die game for Olympic qualification.

This is the group we ended up in and we have to face it the best possible way, nothing is impossible. The national team handled itself very well at the pre-Olympic (2015 FIBA Americas Championship) in Mexico City. Hence, I believe this team can still give more and I believe there is good chemistry and commitment from all of us to play this tournament. The most important thing is that Mexico is there. We have to be enthusiastic. It's not going to be easy, but we have to compete. - Valdeolmillos

Mexico, roared on by a home crowd last summer, put on plenty of displays that gave them the look of potential winners of the FIBA Americas Championship, something they had done two years earlier when the competition was staged in Caracas, Venezuela. They lost a close Semi-Final to Argentina, though, and the direct qualification for the Rio de Janeiro Games that was up for grabs in that game.

Canada then edged them in a thriller of a Third-Place Game. On balance, though, Mexico reconfirmed themselves to be a very, very good team last year.

Now the aim is to keep the momentum going. It's important for the Tri to put in a good performance, to cement their standing as one of the top teams in the FIBA Americas. They had all of their fans excited last summer. Greece and Iran promise to be tough opponents at the OQT. Should they end up facing Italy in a knockout game, a partisan crowd will cheer against them. First up will be Iran on 5 July.

We have ended up in a group that is strong and good, first of all, because one of the big national teams like Italy is there. Then we have Iran and then Greece. I think the first game we can win. And then the game against Greece, just as against Croatia and Italy, are complicated games. - Valdeolmillos

What is good about Mexico these days is that they are not venturing into the unknown. After a long time out of major international tournaments, they played teams outside their zone when competing at the 2014 FIBA Basketball World Cup. They squared off against Australia, Slovenia, Lithuania, Korea and Angola in the Group Phase in Gran Canaria and might have advanced beyond the Round of 16 in Barcelona had eventual champions USA, far and away the best team in the tournament, not stood in their way.

Mexico (MEX) faced a great USA team at the 2014 World Cup

So what insight does Valdeolmillos have into the OQT opponents?

"I know Greece and Italy and Croatia more," Valdeolmillos said. "They are three teams that I saw last summer (EuroBasket 2015)... More or less, they are in the same line. They are strong teams with a great presence in Europe."

Valdeolmillos and his players will gather several weeks ahead of the OQT and begin preparing. They will have the benefit of continuity in terms of players and coaches. Come early July, Mexico should be an extremely difficult foe, first for Iran and next for Greece.

"What I'm going to try and do is have them at the beginning of June, to have them a month and a little bit of competition, and go to the CentroBasket in Panama at the end of June," he said. "That will serve us as preparation and to have as many players available as possible for the event in Turin."

The reality is that Mexico can play extremely well at the OQT and still not advance to Rio. There are going to be several teams in Turin that are not only good themselves, but hungry for an Olympic berth.

Here we have always said that Mexico has to follow two lines, one which is to achieve qualification and the other for Mexico to be present in international competitions so that it obtains that experience, just as it did in previous tournaments after so many years absent from international competitions. In the last four years, the national team has been competing better and it's important to obtain every experience possible. - Valdeolmillos

FIBA