CANCUN (Centrobasket) - The state of Quintana Roo will make history as the host of the 2008 Centrobasket Tournament to be played from August 27-31 in Chetumal and Cancun.

For the first time FIBA Americas decided to do the tournament in two separate cities. Originally the tournament was scheduled to be played only in Cancun but thanks to the government and the club Pioneros, they approved both cities.

This tournament gives four berths for the 2009 FIBA Americas Championship, which is a qualifier for the 2010 FIBA World Championship.

Mexico plays in Chetumal and debuts against El Salvador. The host country features players like Omar Quintero and Horacio Llamas.
 
The Dominican Republic will have NBA players Al Horford and Francisco Garcia who play at Atlanta and Sacramento, respectively. This two players are going to fight for their country in group A along with the host.

In Cancun the participating countries are Puerto Rico, Panamá, Cuba and Costa Rica as part of Group B. This group features three favorites to win the tournament.

Puerto Rico, who is the dominant country, features stars like Larry Ayuso, Carlos Arroyo and Jose Juan Barea.

Panama won the last Centrobasket and wants to repeat as the best team in the region with a young squad.
 
Cuba always represent a headache for every team and Costa Rica could be a surprise.