The FIBA U17 World Championship for Men is where the stars of tomorrow are born.
In 2014, the tournament will take place in Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE) from Friday 8 to Saturday 16 August.
This is the first time a FIBA World Championship - senior or junior - is staged in the Middle East.
The Group Phase action will take place in Al Ahli Arena and Al Wasl Arena, with the Hamdan Sports Complex hosting the Final Phase.
The 16 teams from across FIBA's five zones that will compete in the tournament are: Angola, Argentina, Australia, Canada, China, Egypt, France, Greece, Italy, Japan, Philippines, Puerto Rico, Serbia, Spain, UAE and USA.
Seven teams will be making their debut at the U17 world championship level, including the host nation. This ensures the event will be a momentous occasion for the UAE and for the development of basketball in the region.
The FIBA U17 World Championship came into being following the success of
its "older brother", the FIBA U19 World Championship, which made its
debut in 1979.
Both U17 and U19 Men's tournaments - and their
women's equivalent - cater to the growing potential and popularity of
youth competitions and ensure that every generation of global basketball
talent gets the chance to compete at the highest international level.
The inaugural FIBA U17 World Championship was staged in Hamburg, Germany in 2010. The second edition took place two years later in Kaunas, Lithuania.
The
USA have won both editions to date, which featured the 12 best national
teams in the world from across FIBA's five continental zones on both
occasions.
The success and interest in the first two U17s was so
high that, starting in 2014, the tournament will consist of a 16-team
field - the same competition format as the FIBA U19 World Championship.
Entry to all games of the 2014 FIBA U17 World Championship is free of charge.