Santo Domingo will host Centrobasket 2004 at the Virgilio Travieso Soto Sports Palace this coming 7-11 July. The three best teams will qualify for the Tournament of the Americas 2005, a preliminary event for the Basketball World Cup. There is speculation that the DR may present a ?dream team? this year at the event. Names being mentioned to reinforce the locally-based men are Felipe Lopez, Charlie Villanueva, Franklin Western, Jack Michael Martinez, Amaury Filion and Luis Flores who play in the United States.
The Dominican Republic will compete in Group A against Mexico, Guatemala and Barbados. Group B players are Puerto Rico, Cuba, Panama and Antigua/Barbuda, according to the technical director of the event, Victor Sierra.
Four games a day are scheduled at 3, 5, 7 and 9 pm. The Dominican team will always play the last game of the day.
Tickets to the games cost RD$500 and RD$1,200.
For more information, see http://www.fibaamerica.com