CUB – Cuba will finish series of exhibition games against Argentina

LA HABANA (FIBA Americas Championship for Women) – Cuba will closed a series of 12 exhibition games when they faced Argentina on their way to the FIBA Americas Championship for Women, announced Team Cuba’s head coach, Alberto Zabala.

"12 games are not enough to get ready, but it’s a good number and what we had available to prepare for the tournament”, Zabala said to Reuters.

Team Cuba, winner of the bronze medal in the Pan-American Games in Rio de Janeiro, will be flying to Buenos Aires on Monday, where they have planned their last 3 exhibition games against Team Argentina.

Those games will be taking place from September 19, 21, and 22. On the 24th, the Cubans will be traveling to Santiago de Chile.

"We know that it’s going to be a difficult tournament, with USA as the favorites, but we’re still going for one the top positions”, Zabala said.

Following the draft held on February in the city of Valdivia, Cuba will be part of Group B, alongside USA, Canada, and Jamaica. Group A will be integrated by Mexico, Argentina, Brazil, and Chile.

"Our aim is the World Pre-Olympic, and our main adversary is Canada. We’ve got to remain focus”, the Cuban head coach said.

From the 12 players integrating the national team, are notables the figures of: Yamile Martinez (scoring leader of the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta), and centers Yaquelin Plutin and Yayma Boulet.

The Cubans played five exhibition games against China. In August, they faced Chile in La Havana, wherein they held four games.

Cuba finished in fourth place in the Olympic Games in Barcelona 1992; while they won bronze in the 1990 World Championship in Malaysia.

Reuters