ARG - Manu confident he will be on song for Japan

MADRID (FIBA World Championship) - Manu Ginobili has shrugged off his "weak" performance in Argentina's 79-67 defeat to Spain in the final of the Madrid Tournament.

The talismanic guard contributed just a solitary point to his side's total on Sunday but insists his displays in friendly competitions are of no concern as long as he is at the top of his game in Japan when the FIBA World Championship tips off in less than two weeks` time.
"My performance in this game has been very weak, but I am not panicking too much," the 29-year-old said after the game.

"A dangerous situation would be if I were to have these negative statistics in Japan at the World Championship."

The Olympic champions were well beaten by the tournament hosts but the vastly experienced Ginobili insists the side was well below its best and is capable of much more in the Far East.

"Without taking anything away from Spain, we haven' t played at our best level and still have a lot to improve on," he said.

"From my point of view, I know I have time to improve and I hope not to disappoint. We only started our preparations recently and we still have a lot to improve on."

Argentina have been drawn in FIBA World Championship Group A, alongside defending champions Serbia & Montenegro, France, Lebanon, Nigeria and Venezuela.

They tip off on August 19 against the French.

By PA Sport
Exclusively for FIBA