Five slots for the 2012 London Olympics will be up for grabs in the FIBA tournaments and you will all see it unfold on BTV.

2011 FIBA Americas Championship

This year’s FIBA Americas championship will be held in Argentina from August 30 to September 11. Two slots in the 2012 London Olympics will be up for grabs. There will be ten countries competing and these will be divided into two groups. Group A is composed of Canada, Dominican Republic, Venezuela, Brazil, and Cuba. Group B includes Puerto Rico, Uruguay, Panama, Argentina, and Paraguay. The top four teams from both groups will qualify for the knockout stages. The 2011 FIBA Americas Champion and runner-up will automatically be included in the basketball competitions for the Olympics while the teams that place third to fifth will get another chance to make it to the Olympics through the Olympic Qualifying Tournament.

Eurobasket 2011

Eurobasket is by far the most competitive league in Europe. With a bunch of powerhouse teams and a handful of up-and-comers, Eurobasket is more stacked compared to the FIBA Asia, Americas, and Africa Championships.

There will be a whopping 24 teams in this competition with powerhouses such as Spain, Lithuania, Serbia, France, and Germany. The top two teams in the competitions will book their tickets to the London Olympics while the third to eighth placers will get another chance though the Olympic Qualifying Tournament. Eurobasket will run from August 31 to September 10.

26th FIBA Asia Championship

One precious slot for the 2012 Olympic Games will be up for grabs in the 26th FIBA Asia Championship. The games will be held in Wuhan, China from September 15 to 25. Sixteen countries will be represented and China, Qatar, UAE, Lebanon, and Bahrain taking the first five spots. The Philippines, by virtue of its recent success in the SEABA competitions, has also booked a ticket to China. Only the FIBA Asia champion will be given an outright berth to the Olympics but the second and third placers will be given another shot at the Olympic Qualifying Tournament.

Remember these dates!

FIBA Americas from August 30 to September 11

Eurobasket from August 31 to September 18

FIBA Asia from September 15 to 25