Basketball: Eight back from Sydney

Eight survivors from the Sydney 2000 Olympics have been named in the New Zealand women's team to compete in Athens.

The New Zealand Olympic Committee and Basketball New Zealand yesterday confirmed the 12-member team for the Games in August.

Point guard Leanne Walker will captain the team and vice-captain Gina Farmer, Rebecca Cotton, Megan Compain, Donna Loffhagen, Tania Tupu, Sally Farmer and Julie Ofsoski also return for their second Olympic campaign.

Kirstin Daly, who captained the team at Sydney, will assist coach Tom Maher this time.

The Tall Ferns will be hoping they are more successful in Athens than in Sydney, where they finished 11th out of 12 teams and registered their only win over lowly Senegal.

New players named included 18-year-old Australian-based point guard Angela Marino, who attended her first national squad camp just two weeks ago, but was selected after promising performances in matches against Poland and Korea last week.

Forward Jody Tini has overcome injury to gain a spot in the squad and is now likely to join her brother, men's team captain Pero Cameron, on the plane to Greece.

Olympic squad

Megan Compain (guard), Rebecca Cotton (forward), Gina Farmer (forward), Sally Farmer (forward), Aneka Kerr (guard), Donna Loffhagen (forward), Angela Marino (guard), Julie Ofsoski (forward), Jody Tini (forward), Tania Tupu (guard), Leanne Walker (captain, guard), Kim Wielens (guard).

Olympic draw

August 14 v US

August 16 v Korea

August 18 v Spain

August 20 v China

August 22 v Czech Republic

- NZPA