In a development that breaks my heart and angers me a little, the Puerto Rican Olympic basketball team lost on Sunday to Germany and failed to qualify for the Olympic tournament schedule. This means that representing FIBA Americas will be Team USA and Team Argentina only while Europe is represented by six teams.
This is the fourth time since 1960, the team debut, that Puerto Rico misses an Olympic tournament. The others were in 1980 because of the boycott against the USSR, 1984 and in 2000.
Certainly you can't take anything away from the growth of the sport and talent development within European Basketball. However, the Olympics will not be the same without Team Puerto Rico's performance to watch. At the moment Puerto Rico is ranked 12th in the world behind China, though without picking up any points for Olympic competition, that ranking is bound to drop.
Full Olympic Basketball Schedule after the jump...
1. Composition of groups:
Group A: Argentina, Australia, Croatia, Iran, Lithuania and Russia
Group B: Angola, China, Germany, Greece, Spain and USA
2. Preliminary Round:
10th August 2008:
Game 7 (9:00 hours): Russia vs. Iran
Game 8 (11:15 hours): Germany vs. Angola
Game 9 (14:30 hours): Spain vs. Greece
Game 10 (16:45 hours): Lithuania vs. Argentina
Game 11 (20:00 hours): Australia vs. Croatia
Game 12 (22:15 hours): USA vs. China
12th August 2008:
Game 19 (9:00 hours): Iran vs. Lithuania
Game 20 (11:15 hours): Croatia vs. Russia
Game 21 (14:30 hours): Greece vs. Germany
Game 22 (16:45 hours): China vs. Spain
Game 23 (20:00 hours): Angola vs. USA
Game 24 (22:15 hours): Argentina vs. Australia
14th August 2008:
Game 31 (9:00 hours): Germany vs. Spain
Game 32 (11:15 hours): Australia vs. Iran
Game 33 (14:30 hours): Angola vs. China
Game 34 (16:45 hours): Lithuania vs. Russia
Game 35 (20:00 hours): USA vs. Greece
Game 36 (22:15 hours): Argentina vs. Croatia
16th August 2008:
Game 43 (9:00 hours): Greece vs. Angola
Game 44 (11:15 hours): Russia vs. Australia
Game 45 (14:30 hours): Croatia vs. Lithuania
Game 46 (16:45 hours): Iran vs. Argentina
Game 47 (20:00 hours): China vs. Germany
Game 48 (22:15 hours): Spain vs. USA
18th August 2008:
Game 55 (9:00 hours): Iran vs. Croatia
Game 56 (11:15 hours): Australia vs. Lithuania
Game 57 (14:30 hours): Greece vs. China
Game 58 (16:45 hours): Angola vs. Spain
Game 59 (20:00 hours): USA vs. Germany
Game 60 (22:15 hours): Argentina vs. Russia
3. Quarter-Finals:
The information below shows only who will be playing whom in accordance with the final standings after the Preliminary Round.
20th August 2008:
Game 65: B2 vs. A3
Game 66: A1 vs. B4
Game 67: A2 vs. B3
Game 68: B1 vs. A4
The exact game number and time for the four Quarter-Finals will be known at the latest on the evening of 18th August. The games of the Quarter-Finals will be played at 14:30, 16:45, 20:00 and 22:15 hours.
4. Semi-Finals:
22nd August 2008:
Game 71: Winner 65 vs. Winner 66
Game 72: Winner 67 vs. Winner 68
The exact game number and time for the two Semi-Finals will be known at the latest on the evening of 20th August. The games of the Semi-Finals will be played at 20:00 hours and 22:15 hours.
5. Finals:
24th August 2008:
Game 75 (12:00 hours): Loser 71 vs. Loser 72 (3 - 4)
Game 76 (14:30 hours): Winner 71 vs. Winner 72 (1 - 2)
10 comments:
oh man, i didn't think germans could play basketball. it would've been nice to see puerto ricans compete in the olympics.
The Best news ,american would have destroyed these little people. They don';t deserve being in the Pan American games either. the Dominican Republic won more medals then they could. ever. Even china is rated higher. Thats the end of the Big mouth scumbag Puerto Ricans. Stay out of the United States
anonimous there is somebody who doesn't know anything about Puerto Rico's national basketball team.
I'm amazed by the ignorance of the first anonymous comment. Let's remember that Puerto Rico has defeated the U.S. in basketball before, is ranked among the top teams in the WORLD, and has many NBA players.
As far as staying out of the U.S.: I kindly remind this ignorant person of the fact that many of us have served our great nation in war, many making the ultimate sacrifice-
hooah!
it's the Olympics...
Hey little bitch.... you like the fact that they participate in the US military to defend your country but they can't live in the United States and be proud of their roots?.... You are proud of your roots right? Ancestors?... Wait, hold on I forgot Hitler is your ancestor... So sad.
If you are educated whatsoever, you would know that the U.S. came to P.R. to do a treaty. That treaty basically was that the U.S. could come to P.R. and use some of P.R. land to do some military practice in exchange of Puertoricans have U.S. citizenship and Americans can travel to P.R. w/out a Passport and vice versa, and also, Puertoricans could join the military in defend of the United States.
Instead of running your little mouth, grab a book, go back to school and learn some history.
As to the anonymous comment referring to Puerto Ricans as scumbags...
GO FUCK YOURSELF!!
Read a book you ass
to anonymous comment from the scub bag with the big mouth . We have better sense than to deal with a bigot and racist as you. Your are an example of ignorance that breeds stupidity.
Please read about it before you comment. Hope you learn something.
http://www.bartleby.com/43/46.html
yeah i just found out through you guys my country didnt make it,what a sad day,and how the hell was it that they had to compete against a european team for a spot?...i dont get it,they shouldve only been competing for a spot against other eastern hempisphere teams...ridiculous...and to these racists idiots nothing,youre not worth my breath.
People…come on, no fighting, no offending, no insulting…this is 2008. Lets all be proud of who we are and where we come from. Puerto Rico is a nation that stands out from the rest of the world, we have the best of EVERYTHING (weather, food, music, women, men, beaches, nature and culture). Come and visit and you’ll see for yourself. For those who do not appreciate culture and art, save your opinions. I am a proud Puertorican who moved temporarily (thank God) to the US mainland and it’s sad to know that there are people here who don’t know where Puerto Rico is. If your country makes it as far as the Olympics, be proud and celebrate it, don’t argue in trying to change what you can’t, but live life to its fullest capacity! Hugs and kisses to all of you and I hope that someday you can visit our beautiful Island, you’ll want to stay and never leave. :)
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