Tunisia | |||
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FIBA ranking | 21 2 | ||
Joined FIBA | 1956 | ||
FIBA zone | FIBA Africa | ||
National federation | FTBB | ||
Coach | Mário Palma | ||
Olympic Games | |||
Appearances | 1 (2012) | ||
Medals | None | ||
FIBA World Cup | |||
Appearances | 1 (2010) | ||
Medals | None | ||
FIBA Africa Championship | |||
Appearances | 21 | ||
Medals |
Gold: 2011 Silver: 1965 Bronze: 1970, 1974, 2009, 2015 |
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Uniforms | |||
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The Tunisian national basketball team is the national basketball team of Tunisia.
The team is governed by the Tunisia Basketball Federation (FTBB). (Arabic: الجامعة التونسية لكرة السلة)
When Tunisia became the 2011 African Basketball Champion, it was the first North African country to do so in almost 30 years. To date, they have 19 appearances at the FIBA Africa Championship, ranking them behind only traditional African powers Senegal, Côte d'Ivoire, and Egypt, in total appearances.
In 2011, they won their first ever FIBA Africa Championship, after beating Angola in the final. Their previous best finish was at the FIBA Africa Championship 1965, when they won the silver medal as the host country. They also won a bronze medal at the FIBA Africa Championship 1970 and FIBA Africa Championship 1974.
Although the Tunisians never finished worse than eighth in any of their succeeding appearances, they were not able to break onto the podium again until a surprise bronze medal run at the FIBA Africa Championship 2009. Led by All-Tournament First Team forward Amine Rzig, the Tunisians went 4–2 in the preliminary rounds, winning three games by two points or less. They reached the semifinals for only the second time since 1974, by another slim margin – this time a one-point victory over Mali. Although they were defeated by Angola in the semifinals, the Tunisians topped Cameroon in the bronze medal game, to claim Africa's third and final automatic berth in the 2010 FIBA World Championship – its first ever FIBA World Cup berth. The Tunisians struggled to compete in the World Championship, losing all five of their games, and finishing last in Group B, and 24th overall. Yet, after almost forty years of mediocrity in Africa, Tunisia has become one of the continent's prime competitors again. Its appearances at the global stage have become a new milestone in the team's history.