The Canadian men’s basketball team will play its Olympic qualifying tournament in Victoria in June.
Canada must win the six-team tournament, June 23-28, to earn a berth for Tokyo. The draw will be Nov. 27.
“Being able to host a FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament at home is a great opportunity for our team on the road to the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games,” Canada Basketball CEO Glen Grunwald said in a statement. “This is sure to be a week-long celebration that fans of basketball in Greater Victoria, and across our great country, won’t ever forget.”
Seven countries qualified for Tokyo at the FIBA World Cup in China, but missing most of its stars, the Canadian team finished 21st there.
Japan qualifies automatically as the host country.
The six teams in Victoria will be divided into two groups of three with each playing all the other teams in its own group. The top two teams in each group will play in the semifinals. The two semifinal winners will advance to the final, with the winner earning a trip to Tokyo.
Victoria’s Save-On-Foods Memorial Centre will host the event.
Croatia, Lithuania, and Serbia were also announced as tournament hosts on Thursday.
The Canadian Press
