URU – Uruguayans Batista, Aguiar take aim at 2010 FIBA World Championship berth

SAN JUAN (FIBA Americas Championship) - Uruguay gave their fans back home back in Montevideo a chance to dream of a possible berth at the Beijing Games with a fast start at the 2007 FIBA Americas Championship in Las Vegas.

Unfortunately for the faithful supporters, big man Esteban Batista and Uruguay fizzled and finished sixth with a 3-5 record – not good enough to even reach the FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament .

Batista is desperate for Uruguay to improve on that showing at this year's FIBA Americas Championship in Puerto Rico.

The event tips off on August 26 in San Juan and the top four sides will earn places at the 2010 FIBA World Championship in Turkey.

"Now we have to think about Puerto Rico and the debut against the US Virgin Islands," Batista said.

"I hope that all these years of experience in the big tournaments helps us so the same thing doesn't happen as in Las Vegas."

Next year will mark the second time the FIBA World Championship has a 24-team field.

Turkey, as hosts, are already in along with Olympic gold medalists Team USA.

So are the six teams that reached the podiums at the Afrobasket (Angola, Ivory Coast and Tunisia) and FIBA Asia Championship (Iran, China and Jordan).

Six teams will also earn places for Turkey at next month’s EuroBasket in Poland.

FIBA will also hand out four wild cards.

"We want to qualify for the 2010 FIBA World Championship, which is more possible than in other years," said Batista.

There is plenty of experience in the Uruguay side, with the final 12 squad having been announced.

One of those veterans is 26-year-old small forward Mauricio Aguiar, who said: "This could be our tournament and we have to add that there are great expectations from everyone to qualify for the FIBA World Championship.

"We have to be focused."

Uruguay will compete against Canada, Mexico, Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands in Group B.

If they progress to the next stage, they will encounter some of the heavyweight teams from Group B (Argentina, Brazil, the Dominican Republic, Panama and Venezuela).

Uruguay squad: Martín Osimani, Gustavo Barrera, Diego González, Leandro García Morales, Juan Pablo Silveira, Mauricio Aguiar, Emilio Taboada, Diego Castrillón, Reque Newsome, Esteban Batista, Gastón Páez and Nicolás Borsellino.

FIBA