Great Britain Glasgow-bound in bid for basketball World Cup qualification

BySportsbeat

Updated 18/10/2017 at 11:36 GMT

Great Britain's bid for FIBA Basketball Men's World Cup qualification will head to Glasgow after the Emirates Arena was confirmed as host for two matches in 2018.

Great Britain's head coach Joe Prunty gestures during FIBA Eurobasket 2017 men's group D basketball match between Latvia and Great Britain at Fenerbahce Ulker Sport arena in Istanbul on September 4, 2017.

Image credit: Getty Images

Captain Kieron Achara's side will welcome Estonia to the Scottish city on June 29 next year, while Israel follow immediately after on July 2.

Six first-round qualifiers will take place in all, with Greece the other side occupying Group H when the campaign begins at the Leicester Arena on November 2014.

Image credit: Getty Images

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The top three sides in the pool will reach the next stage of qualification, while the World Cup itself will take place in China, in 2019.

"It will be thrilling to see Kieron Achara lead out Great Britain in Glasgow next summer, to complete the first round of World Cup qualification. We hope the Scottish public will come out and support us," said British Basketball chief executive Lisa Wainwright.

Russia's center Timoffey Mozgov (L) vies for the ball with Great Britain`s center Eric Boateng during FIBA Eurobasket 2017 men's group D basketball match between Russia and Great Britain at the Fenerbahce Ulker Sport Arena on September 7, 2017 in Istanbul

Image credit: Getty Images

This move comes as part of British Basketball's aim to take more matches around the country, with a further tranche expected to follow if the team reach the next stage of qualification.

The 2019 World Cup will see the competition expanded to 32 teams with defending champions United States the ones to watch, while Britain are bidding to qualify for the first time.

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