From pacificmagazine
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Fiji’s national women’s basketball team is heading to Spain for its biggest challenge yet: attempting to qualify for the Beijing Olympics in August.
The team met Monday with the interim Prime Minister Commodore Voreqe Bainimarama before departing for Spain to participate in the Beijing Olympics qualifying championship tournament, reported the Fiji Times.
Commodore Bainimarama said if the Fiji rugby sevens team can become the world champions, the national women's basketball team could also achieve it.
"Fiji has the ability to be among the best in the world. In the same vein and with a 'can do' attitude, the people of Fiji are confident that you would do well and make the nation feel proud,” he said.
The Olympic qualifying event for women’s basketball is being held in Spain from June 9-15.
Fiji’s national women’s team is Ranked 58 of 69 by the international basketball organization FIBA. It is the only Pacfic Island country in FIBA’s world ranking. The United States is ranked number one, Australia is number two and New Zealand is number 16.
But Fiji has its work cut out for it as it will go up first against number four Brazil, the 1994 world champions.
Still, Fiji coach Michael Whippy says that his team could spring the biggest upset in women’s international basketball history when they take on Brazil in Madrid next month.??
