FIBA World Cup Sweet 16 now complete

By Robert Andaya

The FIBA World Cup 2023 second round cast is now complete.

Six teams – Brazil, Georgia, Greece, Puerto Rico, Serbia, and Slovenia – displayed their winning forms during the thrilling scramble for the remaining slots at the culmination of the first round in various venues on Wednesday.

With their victories, the teams continued to nurture  their aspirations of clinching the title in the edition of the 19th World Cup title. 

The six teams will join Australia, Canada, Dominican Republic, Germany, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania,  Montenegro, 2019 winner Spain, and five-time champions United States.

The 16 remaining teams take a break on Thursday and second round action gets going in Manila, Jakarta, and Okinawa.

The round-of-16 participants will carry over their win-loss records in the first round.  

These  teams will  vie for spots in the quarterfinals, and the top two teams from each of the four groups will advance to the final phase.

Here are the teams which made it to the second round, their respective groups and venues where they will play:

Group I: Serbia, Dominican Republic, Italy and Puerto Rico  (Smart Araneta Coliseum)

Group J: USA, Lithuania, Greece and Montenegro (Mall of Asia Arena)

Group K: Slovenia, Germany, Australia and Georgia (Okinawa)

Group L: Canada, Spain, Brazil and Latvia (Jakarta)

Meanwhile, the 16 teams that fell short in the first round will continue  their endeavors in the classification round 17-32. 

This phase not only offers the chance for improved rankings but also direct qualifications for the Olympics and the Olympic Qualifying Tournaments.

Among these teams are host  Philippines, China, Japan, Iran, Lebanon and Jordan , which are seeking the lone ticket to the  2024 Paris Olympics as the lone Asian qualifier.

African countries left out of second round action will also vie for the African ticket to Paris.

Marking its grand finale on September 10, the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023 will culminate in an enthralling championship match at the Mall of Asia in Manila.