CARACAS (FIBA AmeriCup 2017) - Venezuela national team coach Néstor "Che" García, anticipates he will experience great emotions during the Group Phase of the FIBA AmeriCup 2017, following last Thursday's draw.

Venezuela and "Che" will travel to Bahía Blanca, Argentina - the hometown of the play caller - to play in Group B of the redesigned competition, alongside hosts Argentina, Canada and the Virgin Islands.

"As always we are going to represent the country with love and passion, and with the intention of qualifying to the Final 4. All the groups in this tournament are strong, we have to maintain our philosophy and identity because everything we have achieved is because of our hard work," said the coach of the National Team of Venezuela, the Argentine Néstor "Che" García, to the official portal of the Venezuelan Basketball Federation.

Venezuela will try to successfully defend its continental title in a redesigned competition that for the first time has Argentina, Colombia and Uruguay as host countries.

"The players are already thinking about the National Team and they want to be there. Some send me messages before the draw. As always, preparation is going to be very important. I am already talking to Oswaldo Narváez (Director of National Teams of the FVB) on the subject of preparation because we will surely be practicing on warm weather first and then we have to adapt to the cold weather of Bahia Blanca," explained Garcia.

Garcia, who is known for his energy and emotions on the side-lines of the court, will experience huge emotions when he returns to Bahia Blanca from August 27-29.

"For me it's a very big thing. I’m going with the National Team I love, to the city where I was born. I will have my family, my mother there. It seems that God put me to lead the National Team of Venezuela to live all these emotions that I never imagined in my life," concluded the Argentine strategist.

The Venezuelan quintet will look for the available ticket from Group B to the FIBA AmeriCup 2017 Semi-Final Phase to keep alive their aspirations of repeating the joy the team lived in the 2015 edition of the event in Mexico.

FIBA