Olympic qualifing tournament dates?

[KokkinosVasilias]

Does anyone know the dates for the olympic qualifing tournament?

[AK47]

(July 7-13, site TBD). A total of 12 teams will compete in the 2008 FIBA World Olympic Qualifying Tournament and those 12 teams will be based on finishes in each of FIBA’s five zone qualifying tournaments. The FIBA Africa Zone will place two teams (runner-up and third place), the FIBA Americas Zone will advance three teams (third place, fourth place and fifth place), the FIBA Asia Zone will place two teams (runner-up and third place), the FIBA Europe Zone will advance four teams (third place, fourth place, fifth place and sixth place), and FIBA Oceania Zone will advance one team (runner-up). The 12 teams will be divided in four groups of three teams each and will play a single round robin. The two best placed teams from each group will qualify for the quarterfinals, semifinals, finals and consolation games which will determine the first three places and thus the teams that will qualify for the Olympics.

[fasoulaki]

Does anyone know the dates for the olympic qualifing tournament?

Why are you interested int that tournament?

[KokkinosVasilias]

that means that some NTs will play the entire summer and the players wont have a rest at all, i wonder who will be so lucky

[daniab]

Olympic Qualifiying tournament's teams:
-Lebanon (2nd Asia)
-S.korea ( 3rd asia)
-Cameroon (2nd africa)
-Cap Verde (3rd Africa)
-New Zealand ( from Oceania the champion is Australia after beating New Zealand 2-0 in the playoff games, series ended 2-0 in the first game 79-67 for australia and the second game 93-67)
-Still 4 teams from Europe
-And 3 teams from America.

[daniab]

the FIBA Europe Zone will advance four teams (third place, fourth place, fifth place and sixth place),.

Not certainly 3rd 4th 5th and 6th places advance for the Qualifiying tournament.
If Spain get one these positions,it will be changed.

Example: If spain win Eurobasket 2007 or get the 2nd or the 3rd position then (4th,5th,6th,and 7th places) advance from the Fiba Europe Zone.

[Genjuro]

that means that some NTs will play the entire summer and the players wont have a rest at all, i wonder who will be so lucky

Actually, I think it's an awful system.

The good part is that at least the three teams entering are the world's best of the rest, and not teams according the continent distribution.

But the bad part is:
- It's only for three spots.
- It forces 12 teams teams to start their preparation for the qualifying tournament incredibly early, which will actually be a bit difficult since various leagues don't finish until late June.
- The three teams qualifying will have to go through a gruelling schedule that starts with a preparation in June and doesn't end until late in August, which will surely scare several stars away (for example, if there was any chance that Nowitzki didn't play with Germany, this is a pretty good one).
- These 12 teams will have to be on top form for the qualifying tournament early in July, but when they hit the actual Olympics, well into August, they will likely be burned out.

Right when there are more problems to fit the requirements of the international competition with the different leagues, with players skipping their country calls to have rest, I find amazing and extremely short-sighted that somebody could ever come with the idea of a qualifying tournament, and that this idea was actually accepted. And particularly, that this tournament is played a month in advance, instead of inmediatly before the Olympic competition.

[Big Lebowski]

The 2008 FIBA World Olympic Qualifying Tournament will end on the 13th of July. Olympic Games will star 26 days later.
The site of the WOQT has to be determinated yet, but normally I believe it could be in China: it this case, all the teams (except of South Korea) whould make a long trip to reach the destination, and the qualified should return home, and after two-three weeks make another 10.000 km trip to go to China for the Olympics.

I like this system: normally Olympic Games would be much better with the best teams (and for the global nature of Olympic Games I like the presence of squads like Iran). What I don't understand is simple: WOQT starts and ends withing one week: during this summer all continents had/will have their tournaments:

Why FIBA didn't decide to put the WOQT at the end of them? Eurobasket final will be on Sept. 16; ok. WOQT from 21 to 27 of September (and maybe some other tournaments could have been organized in different days, the same Eurobasket would have been able to start one week before, ending on Sept. 9 (WOQT: 14-20 Sept.).