FIBA , the governing body for world basketball, will later this month hold the first draw for the men's and women's basketball match ups for the Beijing Olympics. Website Sina.com quotes an FIBA report that says the ceremony will be held at the newly-built Olympic Basketball Gymnasium located at Wukesong in Beijing.

The draw will ensure that teams from the same continent are not matched together and that the first seed teams are well matched, the report says.

Nine qualifying men's teams, including the host China, will learn about their match up on April 26th. The second draw is scheduled for late July.

The remaining three vacancies will be left for the top three teams from the Men's World Olympic Qualifying Tournament in Greece from July 14-20.

Argentina, Angola, Australia, Russia, Spain, Lithuania, Iran and the United States are also included on the men's final list.

In the women's event, seven qualifying teams will take part in the April draw and teams will compete for the other five berths in the Women's World Olympic Qualifying Tournament held in Spain from June 9-15.

(CRI April 11, 2008)