The International Basketball Federation (FIBA) has confirmed that the 2015 FIBA Americas Championship has a new home. The continental competition will be played at the Palacio de los Deportes in Mexico City.
The change of venue has in turn provoked a change of the dates to the event and now the competition will be played from August 31 to September 12.
“All of our efforts have come to a satisfactory conclusion. After weeks of hard work we can confirm that the 2015 FIBA Americas Championship stays in Mexico, with a new home, the Palacio de los Deportes, a site with one of the greatest sporting tradition in the Americas.”, said Usie Richards, President of FIBA Americas.
The Palacio de los Deportes hosted the basketball tournament of the 1968 Olympic Games, an event for which it was built, and in which the United States won the gold medal. Panama’s Davis Peralta was the best scorer of the inaugural competition.
The venue also hosted the 1989 FIBA Americas Championship, a qualifying tournament for the 1990 FIBA Basketball World Cup.
“Now the time has come to begin the process of putting together an international competition of the magnitude of this FIBA Americas Championship. Our Regional Director (Alberto Garcia) is already in Mexico City, laying the foundation and putting together the work plan to ensure that the goals are met of making this edition an unforgettable one, of the highest level” added Richards.
The FIBA Americas Championship brings together the national teams of Argentina, Brazil, Canada, Cuba, Panama, Puerto Rico, Dominican Republic, Venezuela, Uruguay and the host Mexico in 12 days of competition for the continental title.
The Championship qualifies the top two teams to the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro.
“We thank the Government of Mexico, in the person of its President, Enrique Peña Nieto, the Mexican Olympic Committee, in the person of its President, Carlos Padilla, the National Commission of Physical Culture and Sports, in the person of its Director, Alfredo Castillo, and the National Federation (ADEMEBA) in the person of its President, Modesto Robledo, for making our championship a priority for the country. The basketball of the Americas thanks them for their commitment that will allow us to enjoy the best that our sport has to offer throughout the continent.”, concluded Richards.
The last edition of the FIBA Americas Championship was held in 2013 in Caracas, Venezuela. The gold medal went to Mexico, the first time the country finished atop of the podium in its history.
