OQT: France is team to beat

BASKETBALL-CRAZY Filipinos can hardly wait.

With less than a month to go, the Fiba Qualifying Tournament will kick off with six teams from different continents, the Philippines included, fighting for a lone slot in the Rio de Janeiro Olympics.

Needless to say, Filipino expectations are running a bit high as we approach our first assignment against ninetime Olympic qualifier France.

Led by NBA cagers Tony Parker and Boris Diaw of the San Antonio Spurs, and Nicolas Batum of the Charlotte Hornets, France, the 2000 Olympic silver medalist, is considered the heavy favorite to win the Manila qualifier.

The Philippines last played in the Olympics in 1972. We hope to repeat this accomplishment in Rio, although we will need more than just home-court advantage to get that.

France, ranked fifth in the world by Fiba, is scheduled to arrive in Manila on June 30, five days before the opening of the Manila OQT, to acclimatize to the weather and the playing conditions.

*** HOOPVINE: The INQUIRER has gathered from the Philippine Sports Commission media group that the new Philippine administration has not submitted an official list of candidates for the PSC chair … The names that have been published as prospects are people only being nominated for the position … RoS coach Yeng Guiao said he had a talk with former PSC Chair Butch Ramirez but the PSC chairmanship was not mentioned in their discussions … Ramirez has a case with the ombudsman involving the construction of TRACE aquatic center. He was not actually involved in the construction of the venue undertaken by NSA head Mark Joseph but he had to sign the documents because he was then the PSC Chair and his signature was required … This is probably the reason why there is some hesitation in installing Ramirez as PSC Chair.