The only way to get experience is to, well, get it.
Canadian national men鈥檚 basketball team general manager Steve Nash of Victoria knows the upset qualifying loss to Venezuela last year, which cost sa国际传媒 an Americas鈥� regional Olympic berth, was emotionally devastating. But some good, in terms of experience, may have come out of it as sa国际传媒 now looks to its last-chance qualifier in Manila announced Tuesday at the FIBA draw in Switzerland. sa国际传媒 will have to beat two world top-10 ranked teams in Manila 鈥� Turkey and France 鈥� in order to qualify for the 2016 Rio Summer Olympics.
鈥淚nexperience was a huge factor in last summer鈥檚 [Americas鈥橾 results,鈥� said Nash.
鈥淚t was heartbreaking. But it allowed us to grow as a team.鈥�
World No. 26 sa国际传媒 will play in Group A against No. 8 Turkey and No. 31 Senegal in its FIBA last-chance qualifier, which runs July 4-10. The top-two teams move to the cross-over semifinals against the top-two teams from Group B, either world No. 5 France, No. 21 New Zealand or the No. 28 Philippines. Only the tournament champion will advance to the Rio Olympics.
The Manila event is part of three tournaments of six teams each 鈥� the top-18 teams in the world that did not advance to Rio through their regional qualifiers 鈥� that are taking place in July. The other tournaments are in Turin, Italy, and Belgrade, Serbia. The winners of the three tournaments will round out the 12-team field for Rio.
鈥淭he players, coaches and staff all have another year under our belts, and know we have a lot yet to accomplish,鈥� said SMUS-grad and two-time NBA MVP Nash, of the task ahead.
sa国际传媒鈥檚 so-called Golden Generation of young NBA players will be under tremendous pressure in what will be muggy and raucous conditions in Manila.
鈥淲e didn鈥檛 get the job done last summer,鈥� said Toronto Raptors point-guard Cory Joseph, in a statement.
鈥淲e鈥檝e got work to do. This will be a tough tournament with a lot on the line, but we want to represent the red and white in Rio this summer.鈥�
It is one of a trio of last-chance 2016 Olympic tournaments over three sports in which sa国际传媒 will play this year, after failing to get to Rio through regional qualifiers. The Langford-based Canadian men鈥檚 rugby sevens team plays its on June 18-19 in Monaco. The Canadian men鈥檚 volleyball team, captained by Fred Winters of Victoria, plays its from May 28 to June 5 in Tokyo.
The Canadian women鈥檚 hoops team qualified for Rio out of its Americas鈥� qualifier, which was held last year in Edmonton. sa国际传媒 hasn鈥檛 been to the Olympics in men鈥檚 basketball since Sydney 2000, when Nash was the captain.
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