MIES, Switzerland (November 27, 2019) – Canada has been drawn into Group A for the upcoming FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament in Victoria from June 23 to 28, 2020.

Click here to sign up for additional information (ticketing, volunteer opportunities etc.) for the upcoming FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament in Victoria.

The official draws for the FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournaments 2020 for both women and men took place this afternoon in a ceremony at the Patrick Baumann House of Basketball, FIBA headquarters.

The four FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournaments include the 16 best-placed non-qualified teams from the FIBA Basketball World Cup and two highest-ranked countries per region in the FIBA World Ranking, presented by NIKE.

The winner of each tournament will qualify for the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games.

Canada will face Greece and China in the Group Phase, while Uruguay, Czech Republic and Turkey have been drawn into Group B for the Victoria FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament.

Canadian fans will be able to watch each game live on DAZN.

Each team will play the other two teams in its own group (two games for each team).  The top two teams in each group will advance to the semifinals.  The two semi-final winners will advance to the Final, with the winner qualifying for the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games.

The Save-On-Foods Memorial Centre, a state of the art 7,000 seat sits on the site of the venerable Victoria Memorial Arena, will host Canada’s FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament.  Ticket information and tip-off times for the FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament will be announced soon.

In addition to Canada (Victoria), the National Federations of Croatia (Split), Lithuania (Kaunas) and Serbia (Belgrade) will also host FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournaments.

Canada is currently ranked 21st  worldwide in the FIBA World Ranking Presented by NIKE and is looking to return to the Olympics for the first time since 2000.

QUOTES

"Following the official draw for the FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournaments this morning, Canada’s path back to the Olympic Games is now set.  With several of the top basketball countries in the world set to descend upon Victoria in June, this tournament will be a tremendous week of basketball.  I know fans from across the country will fill the Save-On-Foods Memorial Centre and give Canada a true home-court advantage.” – Glen Grunwald, President & CEO, Canada Basketball

“Hosting the FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament in Victoria is a tremendous chance for our players to represent their country at home in front of family, friends and fans.  Recently, we’ve witnessed positive momentum with several players committing to play for Canada this summer and we expect that trend to continue over the next several months leading into the FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament and Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games.” – Rowan Barrett, General Manager, Men’s High Performance

“I’m thrilled that Victoria will be hosting one of four FIBA Olympic Qualifying tournaments next summer. Bringing this Olympic qualifier to B.C. will allow Team Canada to compete on home court, showcase Canada’s passion for basketball and amplify the Olympic buzz. I can’t wait to join thousands of British Columbians as we cheer on Team Canada on their road to the Tokyo Games.” – Premier John Horgan

“Congratulations to the teams who will be joining us in Victoria. This is very exciting for basketball enthusiasts from across Greater Victoria.  Athletics is a big part of our local culture. Engaging in sport is good for community building and well-being, and sport tourism plays in important role in our regional economy. We look forward to welcoming the athletes, coaches, visitors and international media to our beautiful destination that we proudly call home.” – Lisa Helps, Mayor of Victoria

"Bringing the FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament to Greater Victoria will be a tremendous opportunity for our community. I’d like to thank Glen Grunwald and Canada Basketball for showing confidence in our local organizing group, who responded quickly when presented with this opportunity. I’m confident we’ll deliver a world class event that FIBA and Canada Basketball will be proud of and propel our team to the podium at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games.” – Clint Hamilton, Chair, Victoria FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament Bid

“Destination Greater Victoria is proud to support the Men’s Olympic Basketball Qualifier for the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo.  Basketball is very popular in the community. This event builds on the successful Canada-China Pacific Rim Basketball Classic last year and shines a light on our destination as an excellent tournament location that can host the highest level sports competition and can provide a top notch hospitality experience for the world’s most discerning customers.” – Paul Nursey, CEO, Destination Greater Victoria

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