PANAMA CITY (FIBA Americas Championship/FIBA Basketball World Cup) - Ask anyone who follows basketball in Panama about the country's proudest moment in the sport and a likely response is the 2005 FIBA Americas Championship in Santo Domingo, the Dominican Republic.

That year, a Panama team led by Nolan Richardson, an ex-coach of the American college basketball powerhouse Arkansas Razorbacks, beat the odds by claiming fifth place to book a spot at the 2006 FIBA World Championship.

Basketball stayed in the limelight in Panama for the next 12 months.

Organizers held the Centro Basket Championship for Men in Panama City and the host nation won.

Panama then travelled to Japan and competed in a FIBA World Championship for just the third time in their history.

The national team players will not be able to try and qualify for the 2014 FIBA Basketball World Cup.

FIBA have suspended the Basketball Federation of Panama and announced that Mexico are to replace them in the 2013 FIBA Americas Championship in Caracas, Venezuela.

According to a statement by the FIBA Americas, "the national federation (of Panama) is failing to meet several of the provisions of the FIBA General Statutes."

FIBA Americas Secretary General Alberto Garcia is to oversee "the restructuring of the national federation in Panama, ensuring democratic elections of its members, for their reinstatement" to FIBA as soon as possible.

The FIBA Americas Championship will serve as a qualifying event for the FIBA Basketball World Cup in Spain, with the top four sides advancing.

Mexico didn't feature at the 2011 FIBA Americas Championship.

Their national team came in seventh at the FIBA Americas Championships in 2007, and 2009.

The leading Mexican player is Gustavo Ayon, a big man with the NBA's Orlando Magic.

FIBA