ARG – Vaccaro: "Argentina to stage continent’s biggest sports show in 2011"

MAR DEL PLATA (2011 FIBA Americas Championship) - Argentina basketball supremo German Vaccaro hasn’t seen his team dribble a basketball this year yet 2010 is already being deemed a huge success.

The number one team in the FIBA World Rankings, Argentina haven’t hosted a major tournament for quite a while so the decision over the weekend to award Mar del Plata the 2011 FIBA Americas Championship is being seen as a major coup.

Mar del Plata won the right to host the tournament ahead of Brazil and Toronto.

The most famous basketball player ever to wear an Argentina jersey, 2004 Olympics MVP Manu Ginobili, has already declared that he will play at the tournament.

It’s expected that all of the players from the ‘golden generation’, in fact, will turn out to play.

“At this time, there will be no bigger sports show on the continent than the one we will host in 400 days,” Vaccaro said.

The event could become even bigger if the United States do not win the gold medal at the 2010 FIBA World Championship.

Should they fail to bring home the world title, Mike Krzyzewski’s men would have to qualify for the London 2012 Olympics and that means players like Kobe Bryant, LeBron James and Dwight Howard will also show up in Mar del Plata.

“It gives me incredible pride, the feeling that we have done our duty and this shows the growth of CABB (Argentina Basketball Federation) and of its clubs,” Vaccaro said.

FIBA