Today, the FIBA World Qualifying Tournament begins with 12 national teams from Africa, Asia, the Americas, Europe, and Oceania trying to grab one of the three remaining spots for the 2008 Beijing Olympics next month.

Follow the intense action of every game, the heated battles, and all the upsets in our 2008 Olympic Qualifier Forum.

So, with three teams coming out of Athens, will these three wildcards have an advantage because they’ll already be battle-tested for Beijing next month?

Will Greece, the tournament favorites led by star-guards Theo Papaloukas and Dmitrios Diamantidis, meet everyone’s expectations as one of those three teams going to the Olympics?

Daniel Santiago rejoins the national team, along with mainstays Carlos Arroyo and Larry Ayuso, to make an always-dangerous and proud Puerto Rican National team.

Brazil will have Tiago Splitter, Marcelinho Machado, and Alex Garcia, but will be without their leading scorer Leandro Barbosa, as well as without NBA big men Nene and Anderson Varejao.  It’s going to be a tough run for the Brazilians.

Speaking of big men, Germany has added NBA star-center Chris Kaman to their already strong front line that includes all-world player Dirk Nowitzki, as well as the solid Ademola Okulaja and Patrick Femerling.

Without key player Matej Smodis, Slovenia is still a strong, well-rounded team that features captain Rasho Nesterovic, Jaka Lakovic, Uros Slokar, and Erazem Lorbek.  The Slovenians will want to send Nesterovic out on a high note, as Nesterovic will retire from international competition in 2008.

One can never expect an easy game against the Tall Blacks from New Zealand, whom are led by national team veterans Kirk Penney and Pero Cameron.

And can Lebanon do it again despite losing center Joe Vogel and on the heels of Fadi El-Khatib’s proclamation that they have no chance of defeating Greece?

The rest of the Qualifying Tournament field includes the national teams from Cameroon, Canada, Cape Verde, Croatia, and Korea.  Check out the rosters, follow the matches, and discuss everything in our forum dedicated the 2008 Olympic Qualifying Tournament.

Sources and Links: FIBA World Olympic Qualifying Tournament (Interbasket), Olympic Qualifying Tournament Message Board (Interbasket Forum), FIBA Official Pre-Olympic Qualifying Tournament Site (FIBA), Can Lebanon beat the odds? (Interbasket), Fadi El-Khatib: Lebanon has no chance against Greece (Forum), Croatian NT for Olympic qualies 2008, Slovenian NT, 2008 Greek NT, Lebanon NT 2008, 2008 Cameroon NT, Canada National Team, Germany NT, Puerto Rico National Team ’08, 2008 New Zealand Tall Blacks, 2008 Korea NT for Olympics Qualifier, Cape Verde National Team, Brazil NT 2008