Team Argentina-Basketball Taps NBA's Ginobili, Oberto, Scola, Delfino And Nocioni For 2008 Olympiad

Buenos Aires, Argentina (AHN) - Argentina has tapped NBA players Emanuel Ginobili, Fabricio Oberto, Luis Scola, Carlos Delfino and Andres Nocioni for its preliminary 10-man roster for the national basketball squad that is tasked to defend Argentina's basketball crown at the Beijing Olympics this August.

On Thursday, national coach Sergio Hernandez told a news conference that at least five NBA standouts are expected to be included in the roster of the 12-man headed for Beijing. San Antonio Spurs' Ginobili, the NBA's sixth top man and teammate Oberto are holdovers from the 2004 team that captured the gold in Athens four years ago. Toronto Raptors' swingman Delfino, Chicago Bulls' forward Nociono and Scola from the Houston Rockets are also expected to give support in defending the crown.

Hernandez is also considering the likes of Antonio Porta of the Russian club Spartak and Leonardo Gutierrez of the Boca Juniors to be included in the initial list, while those from the Spanish clubs like Pablo Prigioni of the Tau Ceramica, Nicolas Gianella of Granada and Murcia's Federico Kammerichs are likewise given a place in the roster. The remaining two slots are still unnamed as of press time.

The defending champions, placed in Group A, have so far drawn in the group stage of the basketball Olympic tournament: Russia, Australia, Iran, Lithuania avoiding possible title contenders the USA, China and Spain. A sixth team will still be added to the Group awaiting results of an Olympic-qualifying tournament slated on July in Athens, Greece.