Guyana women draw tough group for FIBA CentroBasket 2027 qualifier

Guyana’s women’s national basketball team will return to regional competition on the big stage when they contest the International Basketball Federation (FIBA) Women’s CentroBasket Championship, scheduled for July 12–18 at the Alexis Argüello Sports Complex in Managua, Nicaragua.
The Guyanese side booked their place at the tournament after finishing second at the FIBA Women’s Caribbean Championship, hosted at the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall (CASH) last year.

Their qualification marks another important step in the country’s growing presence in women’s regional basketball as they prepare to face some of the strongest teams in the Americas zone.
According to the draw, Guyana has been placed in Group B alongside powerhouse Puerto Rico, El Salvador, and the United States Virgin Islands.
Group A consists of hosts Nicaragua, Mexico, the Bahamas, and the Dominican Republic, setting the stage for a highly competitive tournament featuring some of the region’s most established basketball nations.
The championship, organised under FIBA, also serves as a qualifier for the FIBA Women’s AmeriCup 2027.
This edition introduces a new competition format designed to increase competitiveness and clarity in the pathway to qualification.
Each team will play every other team in its group once in a round-robin stage. The team finishing first in each group will advance directly to the semi-finals, while the fourth-placed teams will contest classification matches for positions five through eight.

The second- and third-placed teams will cross over (2B facing 3A and 2A facing 3B) with the winners advancing to the semi-finals against the group leaders.
At the conclusion of the tournament, the top three teams will secure qualification for the FIBA Women’s AmeriCup 2027, joining El Salvador, who have already qualified automatically as hosts of the continental competition.
According to the Guyana Basketball Federation (GBF), Guyana will enter the tournament aware of the challenge ahead, particularly in a group that includes Puerto Rico, who remain the dominant force in the competition.
The Puerto Rican women’s team has won the last four editions of the CentroBasket tournament, previously known as the Centrobasket Women’s Championship, underlining the level of opposition Guyana will face.
Despite the tough draw, the GBF noted that Guyana will be aiming to build on their recent progress and test themselves against higher-ranked opponents, with the long-term goal of securing a historic AmeriCup qualification.
The exposure, the GBF said, is also expected to play a key role in the continued development of the women’s game in Guyana.
As the tournament approaches, attention will turn to preparation and squad readiness, with Guyana hoping to deliver competitive performances on one of the region’s most important stages.