MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA – The best way to prepare for Olympic Basketball in Paris is to play against the best teams. Australia is doing just that.
Basketball Australia has announced the Ford Bolin 24, a series that will see Australia’s Boomers and Opals take on China and Japan from July 2 to 5 at Melbourne’s John Cain Arena.
The Boomers will then play USA and Serbia on July 16 and 17, respectively, at the USA Basketball Showcase, which will be held at Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi on July 16.
In Ford BALLIN’24, Japan ranks 26th. This will be the second year in a row that she will be participating in the Olympics, following the Tokyo event three years ago. The Boomers won bronze medals at those Olympics. This was his first podium finish at an Olympics or FIBA Basketball World Cup.
Competition for Opal will be fierce in Ford BALLIN’24. Fans may remember that China defeated Australia 61-59 in the semi-finals of the FIBA Women’s Basketball Cup 2022 in Sydney. Japan’s women’s team advanced to the finals of the Tokyo Olympics.
During four nights in July in Melbourne, Australia’s Rollers, Gliders and 3×3 Gangaras men’s and women’s teams will also take part in the country’s preparations for the 2024 Paris Olympics and Paralympics.
The competition couldn’t have been tougher at the Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi. American men have lost just one match en route to gold in the past four Olympics.
The United States is No. 1 in the FIBA World Rankings provided by Nike.
Serbia, which reached the finals of last year’s FIBA Basketball World Cup in Manila, finished fourth. Serbia last competed in the Olympics eight years ago in Rio de Janeiro, where they reached the gold medal match but lost to the United States.
FIBA
