JORDAN TO LAUNCH WORLD CUP CAMPAIGN

Jordan are looking for an historic victory when they open their FIBA World Basketball Cup campaign against the Dominican Republic on Sunday (11.30am Jordan time).

Jordan are in Group G and will follow Sunday’s matches with games against France and Germany later in the week.

The squad has been trimmed down to 12 players with three - Zaid Abbas, Musa Al-Awadhi and Mohamed Shaher – involved the last time Jordan qualified in 2010 in Turkey.

“These three players will have a big role to play having experienced the World Cup before,” said Zaid Al Khas, assistant coach. Jordan qualified to the finals in China having won seven from 12 matches in their Asian qualifying group, making them only the second Arab team to qualify along with Tunisia.

The World Cup provides the added incentive of qualification to the Tokyo 2020 Olympics with the top two teams from the Americas and Europe qualifying directly along with the best teams from Africa, Asia and Oceania.

Squad: Zaid Abbas, Mousa Al-Awadhi, Ahmed Hamarsha, Mahmoud Abdeen, Mohammed Shaher, Ahmed Al-Duwairi, Dar Tucker, Ahmed Obeid, Yousef Abu Wazna, Amin Abu Hawas and Jordan. Desouki and Fadi Ibrahim.