Santo Domingo.– The Dominican Republic has never qualified for the Olympics in men's basketball, but this time this could be different with the help John Calipari, who has been chosen to coach the national and try to qualify it for the 2012 Olympics.
According to federation general manager Eduardo Najri, Calipari, who led Kentucky to the Final Four last season, would spend about six weeks with the team from August through mid-September, preparing it for the Tournament of the Americas.
The team would practice at Kentucky's Joe Craft Center before the tournament, which will be held in Brazil.
The 2009 team that competed in the FIBA Americas championships included Atlanta forward Al Horford and Sacramento swingman Francisco Garcia. The team finished fifth in the tournament with a 4-4 record.

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