OQTM – Olympic Qualifier hits home run in Venezuela

CARACAS (FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament) - The FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament has established itself as a world-class event not to be missed at its second edition in Caracas, Venezuela.

The inaugural tournament in 2008 showed a wide discrepancy between the haves and have nots in international basketball, but according to Lithuania coach Kestutis Kemzura, anyone who believes that is still the case has not being paying attention.

“Whoever is thinking ‘those guys cannot play basketball’ is totally away from basketball (reality),” he said after his team had faced Venezuela, Nigeria and Puerto Rico.

“If you look to those rosters you will find great talent from everywhere, from the NBA, from the highest levels elsewhere, and they play good basketball.”

The evenness of talent is shown by nine of the 18 games so far being decided by 10 points or less, and African teams having a 3-2 win-loss record against European opponents.

At the 2008 qualifying event only three games were decided by 10 points or less, while at the Beijing Olympics the figure was seven-of-38. 

Off the court, Phoenix Suns international scout Kornell David couldn’t find fault with how the tournament in the newly-constructed Poliedro de Caracas has been run.

“I think it’s a brilliantly organised event, and that surprised me because it’s not a common thing to bring such a tournament down here to Venezuela,” he said. 

Russia coach David Blatt agreed after two straight nights with 7000-plus crowds despite the home team not participating in the knockout rounds.

“Everybody who was here will go home and say good things about Venezuela,” he said.

FIBA President Yvan Mainini said: “I have seen a lot of organisation of basketball events in my life, something like 50 years in basketball and next year it is 14 years in FIBA.

“To make things clear there was good organisation at this event, but there are some things I can say were not only just good, but excellent.”

For Kornell David, the high level of talent now representing every continent it has turned the FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament into a “must come situation”.

“Talent wise, obviously the European domination is over,” he said.

“For me it is a great event to recognise some great players from places like Nigeria, Angola and New Zealand who I don’t get the chance to see.”

The last word goes to Blatt, who is delighted by the emergence of quality national teams from all around the globe.

“Latin American basketball is exciting, it’s energetic. African basketball is extremely fast and vertical and enjoyable.  This tournament was a very high level,” he said.

FIBA