# Questionable changes to World Championship format



## Carl English (May 29, 2003)

What do you think about FIBA's plan to have 4 wild card bids at the 2006 World Championships in Japan? Personally, I think teams should have to earn their way in the way it's always been. The USA doesn't even have to lift a finger in qualifying anymore. I think with the move to 24 teams FIBA is using this as a way of avoiding handing out more bids to weak regions like Africa and Asia. Even the 16 team format had countries that are non-competitive like Algeria and Lebanon so 8 extra teams would add to that problem.


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## guilherme.rcf (Mar 4, 2003)

> Originally posted by <b>Carl English</b>!
> What do you think about FIBA's plan to have 4 wild card bids at the 2006 World Championships in Japan? Personally, I think teams should have to earn their way in the way it's always been. The USA doesn't even have to lift a finger in qualifying anymore. I think with the move to 24 teams FIBA is using this as a way of avoiding handing out more bids to weak regions like Africa and Asia. Even the 16 team format had countries that are non-competitive like Algeria and Lebanon so 8 extra teams would add to that problem.


I agree. The wild cards should be given before the qualify tournaments. to USA, Serbia, Russia and Brazil  take a look in the fiba's ranking, these are the all-times first 4. And give the another 4 spots to asia OR africa, america, europe and oceania. This would full the WC with competitive teams. like france ,lithuania, australia, croatia, rep. dominicana...


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## Matiz (Jun 5, 2003)

The fact is wild carts will be for countries such as Japan(money), Sweden (money), Saud arabia(oil=money)... perhaps Sudan (charity???)- same things are happening in hockey wc...


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## Carl English (May 29, 2003)

The other change that really angers me is the allocation of bids. Under the new changes the Oceania region will get TWO BIDS. Australia and New Zealand are not only the only compeitive teams but they are also the only two countries that bother to field a National Team on a regular basis. Basically, New Zealand and Australia have been given automatic bids. Why not combine Oceania and Asia into one region to atleast create some sort of competition for qualification?????

Realistically, Europe is the only region deserving of more bids!


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## Matiz (Jun 5, 2003)

> Realistically, Europe is the only region deserving of more bids!


1. Usa
2. Canada
3. Brazil
4. Argentina
+2 bids

europe:
1. Serbia
+6 bids

oceania+asia:
3 bids

Africa:
4bids

Something like that...


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## guilherme.rcf (Mar 4, 2003)

> Originally posted by <b>Matiz</b>!
> 
> 
> 1. Usa
> ...


4 from africa?? I can see USA playing against naked hunters


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## Matiz (Jun 5, 2003)

> 4 from africa?? I can see USA playing against naked hunters


You're right- my bad!


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## SEOK (Apr 3, 2003)

In my opinion, 24 teams are too many for a basketball elite tournament like the World Cup is. Ok, we had a great surprise in Indianapolis with New Zealand, but...

Spain - Canada 85-54 (+31) 
Yugoslavia - Canada 87-71 (+16)
Argentina - New Zealand 112-85 (+27) 
Argentina - Russia 100-81 (+19) 

Yugoslavia - Brasil 80-61 (+19) 
Yugoslavia - Turkey 110-78 (+32) 
Spain - Turkey 87-64 (+23)
Spain - Brasil 84-67 (+17) 
Germany - New Zealand 84-64 (+20) 

Without considering the games of Angola, Lebanon, Algeria, Venezuela, how many interesting and equilibrate we could see? 
An half of the total number? Maybe. 
Not only Asia and Africa have too many teams, but what are doing in a WC Venezuela, Puertorico or Turkey? What did they made? 
My idea is to have 12 teams, 5 from Europe, 3 from the Americas, 2 from the Asia-Oceania-Africa, the NT of the country where the tournamente is played in and the WC-OG champions. Stop.


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## italianBBlover (Mar 5, 2003)

Yep ... how it's possible that Angola, Lebanon, New Zealand,Porto Rico and Venezuela play at WC and not Italy, Croatia,France, Lithuania etc  :upset: 

I'm still thinking about that thing since september '02


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## Carl English (May 29, 2003)

> Originally posted by <b>SEOK</b>!
> 
> Not only Asia and Africa have too many teams, but what are doing in a WC Venezuela, Puertorico or Turkey? What did they made?


I agree with you on Venezuela but Puerto Rico and Turkey are good teams. Puerto Rico beat Yugoslavia last year and Turkey has a lot of strong young talent. 

I agree with the person who suggested Africa, Asia and Oceania be combined. Give the region three bids so that only the competitive teams (China, New Zealand and Australia) will get in.


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## SEOK (Apr 3, 2003)

> Originally posted by <b>italianBBlover</b>!
> Yep ... how it's possible that Angola, Lebanon, New Zealand,Porto Rico and Venezuela play at WC and not Italy, Croatia,France, Lithuania etc  :upset:
> 
> I'm still thinking about that thing since september '02


I can agree with you. Why Angola and not Italy? This is true. 
But why Italy? Considering that the starting five in Sweden will be Pozzecco, Basile, *Radulovic*, Galanda, Chiacig, and on the bench will sit Mian, Damiao or Carraretto, why Italy should play a WC? 
Let's be honest: Italian basketball sucks and I can't see something good for the future.... we are still considering Bulleri "future", but he's already 25 years old, not a junior.....


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## guilherme.rcf (Mar 4, 2003)

Its a world championship, not an euro-american. They should give more bids to europe and keep the rest just like it already is.


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## italianBBlover (Mar 5, 2003)

> Originally posted by <b>SEOK</b>!
> 
> 
> I can agree with you. Why Angola and not Italy? This is true.
> ...


Well, I don't see so "dark" ...

Italy's team isn't bad : Pozzecco, Marconato,Basile,Righetti, De Pol, Galanda,Radulovic ( what's the problem? Shaw Bradely plays with Germany, like Tony Parker with France), Bulleri,maybe Pittis, Lamma, Soragna.

We won european championship in 1999 and we arrived 2th in 1997.

The big problem of this year will be F.ucka and above all Myers  

There is the question "Mario Boni", but the thing is quite hard ... 

When the game is important he plays for the team too, like in the Final between Teramo and Messina.
His enthusiasm and will-power is hard to see in many 20-25 old players ...

Ciao


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## italianBBlover (Mar 5, 2003)

> Originally posted by <b>guilherme.rcf</b>!
> Its a world championship, not an euro-american. They should give more bids to europe and keep the rest just like it already is.


Yea, you has all the reasons ... naturally max respect 4 Angola, Venezuela etc.
Bu how many basketball fans has got Angola ? and how many Italy ? maybe 50-100.000 against 10 milions ...

For an "all-the-world-competition" there are the Olympic games, or not ?

Gretz


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## guilherme.rcf (Mar 4, 2003)

> Originally posted by <b>italianBBlover</b>!
> 
> 
> Yea, you has all the reasons ... naturally max respect 4 Angola, Venezuela etc.
> ...


I agree, more bids should be given to europe, but you cant take the african and asian bids off from them. 8 more countries will play the next WC, give 2 for america and 6 for europe. America had 5 bids more the host country.There are some more competitive teams over here, like rep. dominicana, uruguay, mexico... of course they will never win the WC, but they can play basketball and angola is competitive, they have a pro league and a lot of players playing in the NCAA. These american teams are better than the asians and africans. they really should put the oceania to play with the asians. 7 bids to america, 2 for africa, 4 for oceania and asia and 10 to europe (+ 1 for the host country)
the americans probaly would be...
-USA
-Argentina
-Brazil
-Canada
-Puerto Rico
-Venezuela
-Rep. dominicana, mexico or uruguay.

asia/oceania
-australia
-New zealand
-China
-South Korea (Once they did beat Brazil, in 98 i think)

Africa
-angola (angola almost beat brazil last year, they missed a layup in the last second) 
-anyone (nigeria has a lot of good players, like Olowokandi)

Europe
-Serbia
-Germany
-Spain
-France
-Italy
-Russia
-Croatia
-Greece
-Lithuania
-turkey 

Host country
-Japan


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## waitandsee (Jun 4, 2003)

The Euro championship will be more competitive than world championship this year. Only the Americans make WC more difficult. The WC needs definite more European teams, so that it will be more interesting.
16 teams 

Europe 8

S and N America 4

Asia/Oceania 3

Africa 1


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## Matiz (Jun 5, 2003)

fact: WC=EC +USA


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## Carl English (May 29, 2003)

I think FIBA's whole plan to increase the number of teams and stretch the tournament over a longer period of time is an attempt to imitate the World Cup. More teams and a longer event means more dollars.


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## Matiz (Jun 5, 2003)

> more dollars.


That's all Fiba cares about.


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## guilherme.rcf (Mar 4, 2003)

> Originally posted by <b>Matiz</b>!
> fact: WC=EC +USA


[edited], Argentina reached the final and almost beat yugoslavia, serbia thanks the ref. Ah, Argentina is an american country, i dont know if you knew it.

*[You can disagree, but no personal attacks, thanks]

JGKoblenz*


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## Matiz (Jun 5, 2003)

> [edited], Argentina reached the final and almost beat yugoslavia, serbia thanks the ref. Ah, Argentina is an american country, i dont know if you knew it.


I was watching the game, and I agree with you. I did't want to insult you with my post. WC=EC+USA+Argentina+Brasil, I was just overreacting as always -no offense.And I know Where Argentina is! Thats basic geography.


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