2009 FIBA Under-19 Championship for Men

The 2009 FIBA Under-19 Championship for Men, New Zealand’s first world championship basketball tournament, will be held at the North Shore Events Centre, ASB Stadium and Vector Arena in Auckland from July 2-12.

African nations Egypt and Angola have completed the 16-team line-up for next July’s 2009 FIBA Under-19 Championship for Men in Auckland.

Egypt claimed the 16th Africa Nations Championship for Under-18 Men on their home court in Alexandria on Monday, being joined by final opponents Angola as the last quaifiers for the Ninth FIBA Under-19 Championship.

Egypt, which has competed in two previous under-19 Worlds, and Angola will be joined by hosts New Zealand, Oceania qualifiers Australia, Asian nations Iran, Kazakhstan and Syria, European qualifiers Greece, Lithuania, Croatia, France and Spain, and Americas teams Argentina, USA, Canada and Puerto Rico.

Behind 30 points, eight rebounds and four assists from tournament MVP and leading scorer AMR El Gundy, Egypt defeated Angola 85-84 in the final on Monday, although the wins that booked them a place in Auckland came in the semifinals. Egypt ran-over Senegal 75-62, while Angola, who finished third in their pool at 3-2, upset previously unbeaten Nigeria 71-65.

The Egyptians became the fifth country to win their continental championship on home soil during the qualifying process, following Argentina (Americas), Greece (Europe), Australia (Oceania) and Iran (Asia).

Argentina upset defending champions USA 77-64 to win the Sixth FIBA Americas Under-18 Championship in July, being joined by Canada and Puerto Rico as the first to qualify.

Australia was next. With New Zealand qualifying as hosts for their first under-19 worlds, Australia, who finished fifth at the last world championships in 2007, automatically qualified as the Oceania representative. Australia defeated New Zealand in three straight games – 94-67, 86-71 and 81-60 – in the Oceania Championship series in Adelaide in August.

Spain denied 2007 under-19 champions Serbia a chance to repeat by winning the fifth-sixth playoff and securing the fifth and final berth from Europe at the Under-18 European Championship in early August.

Greece defeated Lithuania 57-50 for the title and will likely get the tournament’s top seeding, followed by Croatia, France, who took bronze two years ago in Serbia, and Spain as the Euro qualifiers.

Iran disposed of Kazakhstan 95-76 in the Asia Under-18 Championship game in early September, earning the country’s second worlds berth, while the Kazaks will be attending their first major tournament. Syria made it all west-Asian qualifiers with a 93-86 win over Japan in the third-fourth playoff.