FIBA - Official draw headlines exciting week on Road to Spain 2014
MIES/BARCELONA (FIBA Basketball World Cup) - There is something for everyone to look forward to over the coming days as FIBA ramps up its preparations for the 2014 FIBA Basketball World Cup with a number of important decisions and announcements as well as exciting activities in Barcelona, Spain. On Saturday 1 February, as part of its first meeting of 2014, ...
MIES/BARCELONA (FIBA Basketball World Cup) - There is something for everyone to look forward to over the coming days as FIBA ramps up its preparations for the 2014 FIBA Basketball World Cup with a number of important decisions and announcements as well as exciting activities in Barcelona, Spain.
On Saturday 1 February, as part of its first meeting of 2014, FIBA's Central Board will decide and announce which national teams are to receive the four wild cards and complete the line-up for its flagship event, taking place from 30 August to 14 September in Spain.
With all 24 participating teams known, FIBA will then hold the Official Draw of the 2014 FIBA Basketball World Cup on Monday 3 February at the Palau de la Musica. You can watch it live at 7pm CET on youtube.com/fiba, on livebasketball.tv as well as on the official FIBA Game Center App, which is available for IOS (App for iPhone; click here to download) and Android (mobile app on Google Play; click here to download).
The 24 national sides will be drawn in four Preliminary Round groups of six teams each. Those games will be played in the cities of Bilbao, Gran Canaria, Granada and Seville. The action will them move on to Barcelona and Madrid for the Final Round.
As the Road to Spain 2014 gathers pace, fans will also get a chance to find out the official mascot and official ball of the championship, with both due to be unveiled by the end of the week.
The Road Show 2014, the exciting initiative put together by FIBA and the Spanish Basketball Federation (FEB) to spread the word about the 2014 FIBA Basketball World Cup, will take over the Arco del Triunfo area of the city over the weekend (1-2 February). This will be a great opportunity for basketball and sports lovers of all ages to enjoy some outdoor activities (3x3 competitions, three-point contests, King of the Court challenges, etc...) and discover some unique pieces of basketball memorabilia in the articulated full-size truck as they retrace the origins of the game from its creation in 1891 all the way to the modern day.
Former Spain international Jorge Garbajosa - who won the FIBA World Championship in Japan in 2006 - and fellow Spanish basketball legends Amaya Valdemoro, Elisa Aguilar and Fernando Romay will visit schools around Barcelona on Friday, a day that will also see the official presentation of the country's second largest city as one of the host cities of Spain 2014, complete with a reception hosted by the mayor of the city, Xavier Trias.
The mascot will make its presence felt at the Road Show on Saturday and at the Volunteers Presentation, which will bring together thousands of candidates all hoping to be part of the Spain 2014 experience.
On Monday, ahead of FIBA's World Cup draw at Palau de la Musica Catalana, FIBA Europe will hold a draw of its own, for EuroBasket 2015 2nd Qualification Round at 1pm CET at the Hotel Majestic.
The USA are the defending world champions, having won FIBA's flagship event in Turkey in 2010.
Go to www.fiba.basketball/spain2014 to find out all about the 2014 FIBA Basketball World Cup.
FIBA