CARACAS (FIBA Americas Championship/FIBA Basketball World Cup) – Venezuela at last have a coach to lead the national team at this summer’s FIBA Americas Championship.

Venezuelan Basketball Federation has handed the reins to Argentinian Néstor ‘Che’ García, a former boss of Uruguay’s national side who has coached in Venezuela’s top flight before.

García also coached Argentina at last year’s South American Championship and led them to a first-place finish.

The team beat Venezuela twice in that tournament.

The country’s basketball federation president Carmelo Cortez finalized a deal with García in the early hours of Wednesday afternoon.

“We decided on García because he knows our players and the rivals in the region,” Cortez said.

“The agreement with ‘Che’ is for him to lead the team at the FIBA Americas Championship and the tournaments next year, the South American Championship and the World Cup, if we qualify.”

Venezuela will host the FIBA Americas Championship, with the top four sides booking their places at the 2014 FIBA Basketball World Cup.

The federation had wanted to appoint former Argentina coach Sergio Hernandez, but weren’t able to meet his salary demands.

Hernandez tweeted about Garcia after learning of his appointment, calling him “a great coach”.

Venezuela had wanted Eric Musselman, an assistant at Arizona State, to sign a new deal as national team coach. He had led the Venezuelans the previous two summers but did not put pen to paper on a new contract.

Cortez then looked to Hernandez, before turning to García.

FIBA