Canada begins long road to FIBA World Cup, Tokyo Olympics with game against Bahamas
HALIFAX — Veteran centre Joel Anthony remembers what it was like the last time Canada earned a spot at the FIBA World Cup. He wants to experience that again, especially with the 2019 tournament also serving as an Olympic qualifier.
Canada will begin its quest to qualify for the 2019 World Cup in China when it faces the Bahamas on Friday. Anthony, who was a member of the Canadian team that qualified for the 2010 World Cup in Turkey as well as the squad that missed out on the 2014 event, will be one of the veterans of the squad.
“To have a chance to go to the worlds, and in this format, to have the potential opportunity to play in the Olympics, that’s really the biggest goal,” Anthony said after a practice Tuesday at the Canada Games Centre.
Canada is in a group with the Bahamas, the Dominican Republic and the U.S. Virgin Islands. The top three teams advance to the next stage, with records carried forward. The top three teams from each of the two second-round groups qualify for the World Cup, along with the best fourth-place team.