FIBA World Cup: Czech Republic wins in loss to Greece
By Phil Watson
Looking ahead to 2020 in Tokyo
While eight teams remain in play to win the FIBA World Cup, the event was about more than just the world championship.
Seven automatic berths to the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo are also at stake, as well as 16 bids into Olympic qualifying tournament play, to be held in four tournaments next year.
Japan, despite finishing 31st of the 32 teams at the FIBA World Cup, is in the field for the Olympics as the host.
As the only two teams from the FIBA Americas zone to reach the quarterfinals, USA Basketball and Argentina have secured Olympic berths. Australia has clinched the automatic berth afforded to the best finisher from the FIBA Oceania zone.
Nigeria, which placed 17th — best of the teams that did not advance to the second round — has secured the automatic Olympic spot from the FIBA Africa zone.
The automatic bid from the FIBA Asia zone will go to Iran, which placed 23rd in the tournament … one spot ahead of FIBA World Cup host China.
There are two automatic berths for the FIBA Europe zone, still to be determined between the remaining teams in the quarterfinals — Spain, France, Serbia, Poland and the Czech Republic.
The top two finishers in the tournament from that group of five nations will win Olympic spots. The other three will head to qualifying tournament play next June.
Thirteen other national squads have guaranteed places in the qualifying tournaments: Lithuania, Italy, Greece, Russia, Brazil, Venezuela, Puerto Rico, Dominican Republic. Germany, New Zealand, Tunisia, Canada and Turkey.
The bottom nine finishers are done until the next FIBA zone championships, with the World Cup being hosted by a group of three nations — the Philippines, Japan and Indonesia — when it is contested next in 2023.