The ball is already in the air for the Basketball World Cup, which will take place from today, August 25, to next Sunday, September 10, in six cities in the Philippines, Indonesia, and Japan. Until Wednesday the 30th, the first phase will be played, made up of eight groups of four teams each. In total, 32 national teams from the five continents will fight to win the title defended by Spain, achieved in 2019 in China.
Up to eight games are played today on the opening day. They are those corresponding to groups A, D, E and H, while the teams classified in groups B, C, F and G will enter the competition tomorrow.
In group A at 10:00 the Italy – Angola dispute. The Africans, a classic from the first phase, will seek to advance to the round against a team from Partenopea that after falling in the quarterfinals of the last European Championship, eliminating Serbia in the round of 16, wants to finish in the top eight.
For 14:00 it will be the Philippines – Dominican Republic. The Caribbeans, who left a great sensation against Spain in Granada, are looking to advance to the next stage with Italy in a match whose greatest incentive will be if the hosts of the tournament manage to get 55,000 people into the Arena Filipinas, the national stadium of the soccer team from that country. The attendance record for a World Cup match is set at Canada 1994 with 32,000 spectators.
In group D at 10:45, Mexico and Montenegro open the day. The North Americans return to a World Cup event while the Balkans seek to reach the second phase of the competition. At 14:30 Lithuania begins its path to the title facing Egypt, which seeks to become an African power.
In Group E, one of the most interesting matches of this first phase opens the day. In Okinawa they face Finland, the sensation of the European past against Australia, who will seek to get into the top four. At 2:10 p.m., another of the rebel teams from the last continental event and that seeks to do important things in this World Cup, Germany, will play against the hosts Japan.
Finally, in group H, the amazing Lebanon opens the day, which returns to a World Cup against Latvia. The Europeans have few options to go to the next round, but they will seek to make the grade against the other two teams in the group, France and Canada, who will play the last game of the day at 3:30 p.m. in what is presumed to be a first shot. contact of what comes to us from the second phase.