MONTEGO BAY, St James — Jamaica’s senior men’s basketballers, the ‘JamRockerz’, have been drawn in Group A of the 2013 FIBA Americas Championship which will be played at the Poliedro of Caracas, Venezuela, from August 30 to September 11.

The draw was made recently in Venezuela for the tournament that will see the top-four teams qualify for the 2014 FIBA World Cup to be held in Spain.

Jamaica, who qualified for the tournament for the first time after a historic third-place finish in the Centrobasketball tournament last year in Puerto Rico, will face Canada in their opening game on August 30.

The second game will be against Uruguay the next day, then against Puerto Rico on September 2, before ending against Brazil on September 3.

The teams in Zone B are Mexico, Dominican Republic, Venezuela, Paraguay, and Argentina.

Meanwhile, Jamaica will get a chance to face at least one of their opponents prior to the tournament after the Jamaica Basketball Association (JaBA) accepted an all-expenses paid invitation to play against Canada in Canada.

According to JaBA boss, Ajani Williams, the tentative date for the start of the trip to Canada is on or around the first week in August.

In responses to emails sent by the Jamaica Observer, Williams, who is off the island on business, said JaBA could accept invites from either Puerto Rico or hosts Venezuela as well.

The Jamaica team is expected to be at full strength, Williams said, and should include Samardo Williams and Jerome Jordan who were included in a Centrobasketball second team last year.

“We are working on recruiting to strengthen the team,” Williams said, adding they hoped to take the strongest team possible to the event.