VEN - Tomas has faith in Venezuela

MARIBOR (FIBA World Championship) - Venezuela small forward Tomas Aguilera is confident his team can succeed in the FIBA World Championship this month, despite being affected by injuries and defeats.

Nestor Salazar's men have lost three times against Argentina and once each against New Zealand, Canada, Slovenia, Lebanon and Croatia.

Diego Guevara and Hector Romero have meanwhile been ruled out of the World Championship with injuries.

Aguilera said: "Despite the problems we've been having with Diego, Hector, the losses, the tiredness and different time zones, we feel optimistic.

"We will go on working very hard. This is only a bad run but I'm completely sure we can get over it.

"Romero's absence has doubled my workload because I was coming off the bench to replace him.

"Now that he is not here, I have to take more rebounds, be more active in defence, work hard with everybody.

"Thank God, things are going as I expected and the coach (Salazar) is showing his confidence in me."

Venezuela have been drawn in Group A alongside reigning two-time champions Serbia & Montenegro, 2002 runners-up Argentina, France, Nigeria and Lebanon.

PA Sport