FIBA Americas sets its eyes on Chile and its growth in women’s basketball
JM González
June 7, 2024

Chile is rising as a venue for important international events. In 2023 they already hosted the Pan American Games for the first time in their history and they already have other championships scheduled, such as the 2025 Track Cycling World Cup or the announcement of their candidacy to host the 2036 Olympic Games. But not only that, but also in basketball, where FIBA ​​Americas has already set its sights on the Andean country being the scene of some of its tournaments.

In 2024 Chile will host the women’s South American Championship, the first big news. Between August 29 and September 5, the event will be held at the Collective Sports Center in the National Stadium Park, which was the epicenter of the Santiago 2023 Pan American Games. The good image that the country left in terms of organization of big events surely played their part for the second big news that the South American country received: in 2025 they will host the women’s Americup, the most important national team tournament on the continent.

It will be the second time that Chile hosts the Americup, after what was done in 2007 in the south of the country, at the Antonio Azurmendy Coliseum in Valdivia, commonly known as the Cathedral of Chilean Basketball. In 2025, Santiago, the capital, will be the host city. The countries that will compete in the championship will be defined in the South American tournament (three places are awarded plus the one that Chile will have as host) and in the Central American tournament in November, which will award another four places. They will be joined by the United States and Canada to complete the field of 10 teams.

“We are carrying these two very important tournaments for the entire continent and I think they are going to go very well,” commented Fernando Borro, president of FIBA ​​Americas to the CDO Channel of Chile. “A series of factors come together to make this decision: the 100 years of the Chilean Basketball Federation, the legacy of the Pan American Games and the support of a government like that of Chile, which supports its national sport and these significant events. “It was very easy for us to designate the venue for the South American and the Americup,” added the Argentine manager.

“It is a historic day for Chilean basketball,” said Iran Arcos, President of the Chilean Basketball Federation, the announcement. Meanwhile, the Minister of Sports, Jaime Pizarro, stated: “We are extremely happy, for our country it is important to continue developing and promoting different activities, especially after the demonstrations at the Pan American Games with basketball and 3×3 basketball with a large audience and good sports results”.

The truth is that Chile has been growing and its Basketball Federation has also had to work hard to generate a women’s basketball structure in the country. From the most domestic to the most international. Starting because this year the National Women’s League is being played for the first time with two categories after the increase in interest from representative clubs from different cities to participate. The first division, in fact, has two zones: center and south. Español from Punta Arenas participates in the latter, coming from one of the southernmost cities in the world and which, however, has been the birthplace of great basketball players in Chilean history.

And in terms of selection, progress has also been seen. There is a strong interest in 3×3 basketball, which is why the Chilean team competed in the last pre-Olympics to Paris 2024, although without getting a ticket to the Olympic Games. It is the rebirth of women’s basketball that was strong in the country in the 1950s. In fact, in the 1953 World Cup in which they hosted, they won the silver medal. At the Pan American Games in Santiago 2023 they got on the podium, obtaining bronze, hence the goal in the Americup is to be among the four best teams.

The work has already begun in the Federation and also for the players, who have held a series of concentrations with Cristian Santander, the renowned Argentine coach who returned to command after passing through the Chilean men’s team and some clubs. La Roja, today under the nickname of the Guerreras, is excited to continue growing and return to its best times of glory.

Chilean team that won bronze medal on basket 3x3 in the Panam Games.

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