MIAMI (United States) – Eight years after their last appearance in an official FIBA competition, Haiti returned to the international stage, debuting in the FIBA AmeriCup 2029 Caribbean Pre-Qualifiers. The competition is held at the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall in Georgetown, Guyana. Haiti's return represents much more than a single result on the court. For the national program, this marks the beginning of a new chapter aiming to rebuild basketball in the country. That was precisely the message conveyed by Sebastien Sanon, who spoke with FIBA ahead of the tournament and serves as the General Manager of the Haiti National Team and a grassroots scout for the NBA's Philadelphia 76ers. "We view this as the first step to a rebirth of Haitian basketball not just from a national team standpoint, but as a movement within the country," Sanon said. He explained that the project is intended to become a source of hope for the Haitian people amid the challenges the country continues to face.
We have players who are talented, very eager and passionate to not only put Haiti on the map, but they are excited to be part of unifying the country amidst the volatility that we've faced. I think this is known within the country, and so this competition is heavily anticipated and the expectations are very high as a result."
As part of the preparation for the tournament, Haiti held a training camp at the University of Miami, bringing together a roster made up of players who primarily compete professionally or collegiately abroad. Sanon highlighted the mindset the team came in with during that timeframe. "This group has high expectations of themselves in their own right. They understand what this means. I've tried my best to keep us focused as a group and to build a camaraderie within that, which has been easy because our guys are intrinsically motivated. The potential, I think, is high; I think we've built a great team for this competition."
In Group B of the Caribbean Pre-Qualifiers, Haiti is competing alongside Barbados, Grenada, the Cayman Islands, and St. Vincent and the Grenadines. Only the group winner will advance to the next stage on the road to the FIBA AmeriCup 2029. Despite the opening setback, Sanon made it clear that the team approaches every game with the utmost respect for their opponents. "Everyone is playing for their country. With that, you expect a lot of pride and purpose. Whenever that's the case, there is high-level competition. So there is a ton of respect for our opponents, and as a result we understand that it takes playing the best basketball that we can possibly play." Beyond the outcome, Haiti's return to the international stage marks the beginning of a long-term project that aims to establish the country as a competitive force in regional basketball.
FIBA