ROME (Italy) - Brazil have never qualified for the FIBA U17 Basketball World Cup, but Felipe Motta hopes that his country can change that for the 2020 U17 World Cup by hosting the FIBA U16 Americas Championship 2019.

Brazil will welcome the continent to Belem in the north of the country from June 3-9 and Motta thinks having the home fans will give Brasil  a major boost.

“I thought it was really nice (to have Brazil named as U16 Americas host) and a great opportunity to play with a home court advantage,” said Motta, who helped Brazil qualify for the competition by winning the title at the South American U15 Championship 2018.

Motta expects family to be on hand in Belem this summer even though the 6ft 6in (1.99m) wing, who is the son of NBA scout and former player Paulo Cesar Motta, was actually born and raised in Italy.

"I am very happy because my grandparents will be there to watch me, and I would assume the families of a lot of my teammates as well. Last year, my grandparents came to watch me in Uruguay and they brought me good luck," he said. "In addition, I think this competition will be a big event in Belem which is a big city located in the north of Brazil. So, I hope the arena will be packed."

Motta was named the MVP of last year’s U15 tournament as he averaged 18.6 points, 6.0 rebounds and 1.6 assists including 28 points and 11 rebounds in the Semi-Final against Argentina and 36 points in the Final against hosts Uruguay.

"It is always good to win, especially facing adversity and playing the Final against the host team. We are young and learning so every opportunity for growth is very important. This U16 championship, however, is a very strong competition. Our bracket has Canada, Puerto Rico and Uruguay. Playing against the United States is always a great challenge and I’m really looking forward to competing against possibly the best national team in the world. So, we will have to play every game as a Final."

Brazil’s best performance in the FIBA U16 Americas Championship was fifth-placed showings in 2009, 2011 and 2015 - with the top four finishers reaching the U17 World Cup.

"I understand this is a very difficult competition, but my goal is to qualify for the U17 World Cup,” said Motta, who plays with the Italian club Stellazzurra Rome.

And that would mean a lot to him and the federation.

"We never participated in a U17 World Cup. Therefore, it means a lot since we are in a process of rebuilding. And to grow and improve we need not only learn the game but also play against better teams. For me personally, it is going to be a dream come true," Motta said.

The FIBA U16 Americas Championship 2019 runs from June 3-8 in Belem.

FIBA