NATTIE

Kwesi Mugisa, Staff Reporter

As Jamaica's women's basketball team continues to go full steam ahead in preparation for the final round of Olympic qualification in November, three additional foreign-based players have expressed interest in representing the nation.

The team will take part in the 2007 FIBA Americas Championships in Valdivia, Chile, from September 25-27 and has been looking to strengthen the squad which won the Caribbean Championships last year, ahead of the crucial competition.

Recently, former Kennedy High School star Nicole Louden was added to the fray, and she has been joined by Tiara Cruse, formerly of William and Mary College, and Alana Arthurs of Hofstra, who plays for Strakonice of the Czech Republic in the Euro Basketball League.

Pleased

President of the Jamaica Basketball Association (JaBA), Marland Nattie, is pleased with the continuing interest ahead of the important tournament.

"What has been really good is the quality of the players that we have been getting to show interest in the upcoming event," he remarked.

"We have now met with a number of local committees regarding the way to go forward and we have set a couple of timelines in regard to restructuring our training programme and such.

"We are going to need a bit of support from corporate Jamaica, however, as we look to stage a camp to evaluate a couple of these players, so we will be able to select a final squad," he added.

The organisation hopes it will be able to hold the trial in New York next month and have the completed squad ready in time for the Pan American Games in July.

Jamaica created history when they became the first English-speaking Caribbean nation to make it to the final round of Olympic qualification, which they did by finishing third in last year's Centro Basket Tournament.

The winner of the FIBA Americas Championships will automatically book their spot to the 2008 Games, while the teams finishing two through four will still have another opportunity to qualify as one of five teams from the World Olympic Qualifying Tournament which will be held in 2008.