BRA - Marcelhino, Brazil focused on reaching China

SAO PAULO (FIBA Americas Championship) - Brazil are desperate to erase the memory of last summer in Japan, when they failed to make an impact at the FIBA World Championship.

Thought to have an outside chance at gold, the South Americans did not even advance from the opening group phase in Hamamatsu.

They can set the record straight this summer in Las Vegas, where in 10 days they will  play in the FIBA Americas Championship.

Marcelinho said: "I think we have everything to win an Olympic berth.

"The group are totally focused on this goal and we are training hard to show our best basketball and return to Brazil with a ticket to Beijing."

Brazil will launch the defense of the title they captured two years ago on August 22, when they take on Canada in their Group B opener.

The US Virgin Islands, Venezuela and the United States are in the same pool.

Argentina, gold medal winners at the Athens Olympics in 2004, are in Group B.

The top two sides will qualify for the Beijing Olympics.

"In this tournament, first stage results are carried to second phase," Marcelinho said.

"This is a tournament in which you face almost all the participants.
 
"You cannot focus on one or two teams. You must be prepared to beat all of them.
 
"Each result is important and nowadays there is no weak team in basketball. Firstly, we must focus on our own team."
 
Before travelling to Las Vegas, Brazil have a trip to Puerto Rico, where they will contest the Tuto Marchand Continental Cup against Argentina, Canada and the host nation.
 
Marcelinho says it's a chance for the squad to bond ahead of the FIBA Americas Championship.

"It's in training where the team get team spirit, work on improving plays," he added.
 
"In Puerto Rico, we'll fix the last details and analyse how rivals are ahead of the pre-Olympics."

Brazil successfully defended their Pan American Games title last month.

Matias Greco
FIBA