PARIS (2016 FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournaments) - Antoine Diot has a pretty good idea of what the atmosphere is going to be like when the French national team shows up in Manila this summer for the FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament (OQT). Les Bleus will take on the host nation, the Philippines, in their first Group B game on 5 July and then square off against New Zealand a couple of days later.

If France play well enough to finish in the top two of that pool, they will meet Turkey, Senegal or Canada from Group A in a Semi-Final. The two Semi-Final winners will then meet in a do-or-die game to qualify for the Rio Olympics.

It's going to be crazy. They have a big, big gym. We've got the team to qualify. We have to forget about who's going to play and who's not going to play. We just have to go there and play our basketball. - Diot

Tony Parker of the San Antonio Spurs has confirmed that he is going to play while some of the other French NBA players must sort out their futures before they can commit. France have a deep enough squad, though, that no matter which players show up, most pundits will see them as the favorites to win the OQT.

Diot does not take his place in the squad for granted, although coach Vincent Collet has often spoken of his value to the set-up. He helped France capture the title at EuroBasket 2013 and finish third at the 2014 FIBA Basketball World Cup. He had a good build-up to last year's EuroBasket but got hurt right before the start of the tournament and had to withdraw from the squad.

The fans in the Philippines will be cheering for their own team but they are also excited about the prospect of watching France's superstars like Parker. France showed their might at EuroBasket 2015, even if they didn't end up winning the title.

Diot accepts that no matter which OQT France ended up in, it was going to be a real battle to reach Rio. They are going to have to be ready to go from the start.

"If we were in the Serbia group, that would be tough," Diot said to FIBA.com. "Whoever we play, we must focus on us. It's going to be tough. Some guys will finish their (club) seasons and then go right away (to the national team). It won't be easy, but it's the same for everyone. You can't complain."

For me, every game is a final. We must show the first day that we are ready. We won't have much time to prepare but we know each other and for me, this is a good thing. The coach knows all the players, we know his philosophy and we must go and fight. We've been together for three or four years. It can be an advantage. - Diot

The overwhelming feeling for Diot is that he has an opportunity in front of him to do something special. He has a chance to be in a team that can qualify for the Olympics. But he also has an opportunity to play at an OQT in Manila, which is going to be special in its own right.

"It's exciting," he said. "For me, it's a new challenge. I've never been there and with a big, big gym - it's going to be crazy. But the key will be what happens on the court, and not the fans."

FIBA