Argentine sports minister Claudio Morresi requested not to demand medals at the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games, but the Argentina's best teams are ready to keep fighting for their glories in basketball, soccer and field hockey.
Argentina won two gold medals, the men's soccer and men's basketball, and four bronze medals at the 2004 Athens Games.
Most members of the defending basketball champion team will compete in Beijing and Argentina is one of the hottest teams to win the men's basketball title, one of the biggest team events in the quadrennial world sports gala.
Houston Rockets' rookie Luis Scola and Chicago Bulls' Andres Nocioni are still the center piece of the Argentina's squad, while team leader Manu Ginobili is waiting for the final decision on his injury to compete here.
Argentina soccer sensation Messi will lead the team to recapture the gold medal in Beijing, with Carlos Tevez of the Manchester United, goalscorer star in Athens in 2004, and Javier Mascherano of Liverpool fighting against their club decisions to join in the national squad.
Basketball and soccer are the best hopes for Argentina to win the gold medals at the Beijing Olympics, while women's field hockey vowed to break through this time.
Luciana Aymar, tagged as Maradona of Hockey, will lead an experienced team which won silver at the 2000 Sydney Olympics and bronze at the 2004 Athens.
They lost to the Netherlands 4-2 on penalty strokes in the semifinals in Athens four years ago, and beat China 1-0 to take the third placing.
Five newcomers were added and The Lioness are seeking nothing but gold medal in August.
Besides team events, Argentina will also come out in swimming, sailing and tennis.
World No. 7 tennis player David Nalbandian headed strong to the Beijing Olympics on the men's singles and doubles competitions.
He missed the Athens Games due to injury and this time he recovered from another arm injury to give the charge in Beijing.
Veteran Carlos Espinola is hoping to cap his Olympic career with a gold medal in men's class tornado.
The 37-year-old won silver medals at the 1996 Atlanta Games and 2000 Sydney, and bronze at 2004 Athens.
(Xinhua News Agency July 24, 2008)