Spanish Basketball Team Hopes To Prepare For World Cup, Help Sport Grow On Seven-City Tour

The Spanish basketball team began its preparations for the FIBA World Cup by beating Canada 82-70, according to Juan José Mateo of EL PAIS. It was the first of the team's eight exhibition games ahead of the Aug. 30 start of the FIBA World Cup. The team will play in seven cities -- six in Spain and one in Istanbul -- including a "'sprint' of six games in 11 days" from Sunday-Aug. 21. Spanish Basketball Federation (FEB) President José Luis Sáez said, "We know we are not football, but we want to create an attractive sport. The basic plan is to value our assets, and one of them is the men's national team, which serves as a catalyst for future generations. For friendlies, we're looking for €200,000-€250,000 ($267,000-$334,000)." He added, "But our objective is not to earn this money but to invest in the future by reinvesting it and helping basketball become present in all aspects, in families when they decide what sports their kids will play, in schools and in entertainment" (EL PAIS, 8/6).