Tokyo Olympics 2020: USA to begin quest for fourth straight men’s basketball gold against France

Tokyo: Olympic men’s basketball champions the United States will play France in their Tokyo Games opener on 25 July — three days after the end of the NBA Finals — organisers said Monday. The mighty US, aiming to win their fourth straight gold and 16th in total, will face the French at Saitama Stadium, north of the Japanese capital, on the first day of the basketball competition. They will then play Iran on 28 July and a yet-to-be-determined qualifier at the same venue on 31 July. The NBA Finals are scheduled to conclude on 22 July. Greece, China, Canada, Uruguay, the Czech Republic and Turkey will play a qualifying event in Canada in late June to determine the final team in the group. Australia and Nigeria will also face off on the opening day, before host nation Japan begin their campaign against Spain, bronze medallists at Rio 2016, a day later. The women’s competition gets under way on 26 July with South Korea taking on Spain in the first match. The US women, who are looking for their seventh straight gold and ninth overall, open against Nigeria on 27 July. The US women will then take on Japan on 30 July and France on 2 August.