By Aris Barkas/ barkas@eurohoops.net
The clock is ticking, Saturday is approaching and one more national federation decided to withdraw its application for a wild card. As the German basketball federation (DBB) announced that “the procedure is not viable for DBB. We will not give any bid and we will withdraw from the process”.
At this point there seems to be a general outcry about the bidding war – to put it politely – that FIBA has initiated between national federations interested for a wild card. That’s why in its latest press release FIBA clarified that “the 2014 FIBA Baskebtall World Cup will mark the last time that a system of attribution of wild cards is called into play. Under its new system of competition and calendar which comes into effect in 2017, FIBA will ensure that the best teams qualify for the 2019 FIBA Basketball World Cup over the course of a qualification phase taking place over 18 months”.
Germany in any case didn’t have big chances of getting a wild card and at this point it seems that Brazil, China and Turkey are the favorites, with Greece and Russia fighting for the fourth spot and Canada being a long shot.