SEOUL, Korea (FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament): Four years ago, at the 2008 FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament at Athens, Korea were on the brink of advancing to the second stage before bowing out to Canada’s fourth quarter 20-13 rally.

Lee Sang-Beom currently at the helm of affairs as Korea prepare for this year’s FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament is convinced that “inadequate pressure defense” was one of the primary reasons that led to the Korean defeat then.

“I think we had player proper defense the result might have been different,” Lee Sang-Beom said as Korea prepared for the FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament to be played at Caracas (Venezuela) from July 2-8.

“In the offense, I think we will do alright. But we have to work out methods to keep the opponents under check,” he said.

At Caracas, Korea are drawn with Dominican Republic and Russia in Group C of the Preliminary Round of the competition in a tournament which will identify three teams to join the already qualified nine for the 2012 London Olympics.

The last time Korean men participated in the Olympics was at the 1996 Atlanta Games. Korea who made their first appearance in the Olympics at the 1948 London Games also played in 1956 Melbourne, 1964 Tokyo, 1968 Mexico City and 1988 Seoul.

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