Cuban Basketball Team to attend 2019 Americas Women´s Olympic Pre-Qualifyers in Canada

A Cuban team departed today to Canada to attend the FIBA Americas 2019 Olympic Pre-Qualifying Tournament, to run in that nation from November 14-17.

A few hours before leaving, Coach Margaro Pedroso announced the 12 players to participate in the contest that grants two berths to the World Olympic Qualifiers (WOQ) among 12 squads in February 2020, with headquarters yet to be defined.

Shooting guard Yamara Amarga stands out on the team that is also made up by several athletes from the current national champion (Havana´s Capitalinas) such as Lisdeivis Martinez, Suchitel Avila, Isabela Jourdain, Leanyi Becquer, Claudia Calvo and Dairis Tornell.

The list is completed by Maria Montero, Anisleidis Galindo, Enriqueta Neyra, Lisandra Vargas and Naomi Vargas.

The Caribbean island was included in Group A along with Canada (host), the Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico.

Pedroso said their goal is getting one of the tickets to advance to the WOQ tournament for the final berths to Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, although it will be a tough task as Canadians and Puerto Ricans both beat them in the recently concluded AmeriCup, where Cuba ranked third by only defeating the DR and Mexico.

Group B of this FIBA Americas 2019 Olympic Pre-Qualifying Tournament will take place in Bahia Blanca, Argentina, involving the sides of the United States, Brazil, Colombia and the local squad.