EuroBasket 2009

Ivkovic Puts Serbia Summer Into Perspective

2008-09-29T20:11:00.000-07:00

Serbia coach Dusan Ivkovic wouldn't have agreed to take the national team reins earlier this year for the second time in his career if he hadn't believed in his players.
There were skeptics because the Blues, one of the traditional powerhouses in Europe, had a very young team but Ivkovic felt his squad would be good enough to survive a very tough Group A in EuroBasket Division A and they proved him right by winning seven of their eight qualify games to finish first and book a place in next year's Final Round in Poland.
"Since the beginning, I believed in this selection of players," Ivkovic said.

Zoran Erceg was critical for Serbia in their qualification campaign."And I believed that we'd have a good start.
"For the first time in my career I've taken the same job for second time, and my only reason was that I believed in players."
Nenad Krstic, Milos Vujanic, Zoran Erceg and Novica Velickovic were all excellent but really, no player stood out over the others.
The young Serbians had such great balance and played like a team that really, no player stood out.
They swept Italy, the team deemed to be their biggest rivals in Group A, Bulgaria and Hungary while splitting two games with a very good Finland team.
Serbia, who played in front of big crowds at the Belgrade Arena when at home, secured their spot with a 92-66 home triumph over the Finns on September 17.
"After our second game with Finland, when we qualified for EuroBasket 2009 with one more game still to go," Ivkovic said, "(that's when) our preparation for the European Championship started."
Ivkovic now says it's important for everyone, including the fans, the federation and the players, to understand what this summer means.
"We've done what we've expected to do, we've qualified for European Championship," he said.
"But now, I hear comments like "great success", "fantastic" and so on. Well, we didn't achieve anything spectacular, there was nothing special. We've just - qualified. And that's all, for now. The toughest part of our journey is ahead of us, and our goal is to qualify for the 2010 FIBA World Championship in Turkey. So, we are just at the start."
If Ivkovic wants his charges to mull over anything before next year's tournament in Poland, it's this.
"We have to be ready no matter who our rivals will be there, and to be ready when the right moment comes," he said.
"In sports, you must work constantly."

Skopje Celebrates FYROM Success

2008-09-26T05:49:00.001-07:00

The players of FYR of Macedonia's basketball team are the new heroes in their country and it's not just because they have booked a place in next year's EuroBasket in Poland.
No, sports fans in the country couldn't help but admire the passion and flair Jovica Arsic's men showed in their qualifying campaign.
"We will not stop here," said 35-year-old FYROM captain Vrbica Stefanov.
"We will go to Poland to represent our country, to show our personality, to give another dimension to the basketball world.
"We will all start the new season in our teams with pleasure, and with the greatest desire to show our best at the EuroBasket next year."
FYROM edged out Latvia for first place in Group B of EuroBasket Division A with Portugal third and Estonia fourth.
The successful summer wasn't lost on anyone.
It turned out to be a state occasion.
The second greatest success of FYR of Macedonia basketball (after competing in the final round in France nine years ago) was recognized by the country's Prime Minister Nikola Gruevski, who welcomed the players to his office.
There, he promised to follow the team in Poland, although he wasn't able to be at the qualification games due to state matters.
"The country thanks you for the joy that you gave us," he said.
The Basketball Federation of FYR of Macedonia, which has received pledges of support from the government and the state agency for youth and sports, is already working on ‘Project Poland'.
"This is a mega project for us," said Daniel Dimevski, the president of the basketball federation.
"I hope that the entire nation enjoyed this achievement and this success, one of the greatest in our independent history.
"I am pleased that our country is feeling proud of winning our group. We will show that our place is with the best of Europe.
"All of us being part of this event will give our maximum to represent our country in the best way possible."
The celebration after the last game, FYR of Macedonia's 87-75 win over Estonia on Saturday which gave the team a 4-2 record, carried over from the basketball court to the Cuban restaurant in Skopje that is renowned for evening parties.
The establishment is owned by a basketball legend in FYR of Macedonia and an Olympic silver medalist with Yugoslavia, Blagoja Georgievski Bustur.
He was more than pleased to welcome the FYROM players to his club, and to give them some advice on being top level players.
That evening, there was an even more landmark occasion.
FYR of Macedonia's national team manager Ilija Merganovski agreed to have the mustache he had worn for more than 20 years shaved off.
Pero Antic performed the "operation" and was assisted by fellow star player Todor Gecevski.
"It was a promise that I had to keep," Merganovski said.
"I am not sorry for my loss, the mustache will grow back, hopefully to celebrate another success in Poland."

Czechs Try To Cope With ‘Failure’

2008-09-25T07:19:00.000-07:00

Failure! It's a harsh word but one that is used often when a team doesn't achieve its objective.
Failure is what came to mind for Czech Republic national team coach Michal Jezdik when asked to describe his side's attempt to qualify for next year's EuroBasket in Poland.
Their Division A campaign didn't just end on Saturday night in Tel Aviv. The bid to reach the Final Round crashed and burned in a 98-61 defeat to the Israelis.
The Czechs were annihilated by a team that they had beaten back in Pardubice on September 10, 91-70.
The result left Jezdik's team with just two wins in their six Group D games.
"This qualification is a failure," lamented Jezdik.
The coach had high hopes of reaching Poland, especially since the Czechs had played at EuroBasket 2007 and then seemingly caught a break by being drawn in a group that included Bosnia and Herzegovina, Israel and newly-promoted Great Britain.
The so-called powerhouses of Serbia, Israel, Turkey and France had all ended up in other pools.
So where did it go wrong?
It started when veteran Lubos Barton announced he wouldn't be able to play this summer.
"At the present moment," Jezdik said, "Lubos is for our team irreplaceable."
There was also the absence of a quality point guard in Maurice Whitfield.
"We mostly missed his extensive experience," Jezdik said.
The 67-63 point defeat to the Brits three days before the blowout in Israel was a killer.
The Czechs outplayed their opponents but did just enough to lose. The Czech team was horrible at the free throw line, making just nine of 18 (50%) in that defeat to Britain.
They should have at least forced overtime in their penultimate qualifying game but star man Jiri Welsch missed a lay-up with just a few seconds remaining.
Then there is the form on the road. At home, the Czechs were in form. They beat Bosnia and Herzegovina and Israel and suffered the narrow defeat to Britain.
The Czechs lost all of their games on the road by big margins.
"In the games at home and away, we acted as a completely different team," Jezdik said.
"Maybe it really was that we, as a team, did not have much experience."
Now Jezdik and the players will have to stew over what might have been and face up to reality.
The Czechs went from a team that could have qualified for Poland heading into the last game in Israel to a team that is now in the Relegation Round.
They will take on Hungary, Ukraine and Estonia in a fight for Division A survival next year.

Miranda: "It was a team victory"

2008-09-25T07:16:00.000-07:00

Rarely has a triumph by a team that did not clinch a EuroBasket place been as sweet as Portugal's win over Latvia last weekend.
The Portuguese went into the game looking to level their record to earn a place in the Additional Qualifying Round and were fully aware that a defeat might drop them into the Relegation Round.
After leading by double digits in the second half but falling behind late in the contest, Moncho Lopez's team secured a 93-92 win with Miguel Miranda's three-pointer six seconds from the end. Latvia then turned the ball over and their chances of a road victory disappeared.
When it was all said and done, Miranda had scored his team's first points with a three, and Portugal's last points with a shot from the arc.
The 29-year-old forward finished with five three-balls and walked off the court with 17 points.
Due to his and his teammates' efforts, Portugal stayed in the hunt for a return trip to the EuroBasket.
Does Miranda feel like a national hero after hitting the game-winning shot?
"No, I don‘t feel like a national hero," he said to Basketball World News. "It was just a victory of the team. I was fortunate to have the ball in my hands at that moment and made the three-pointer. Any other team-mate could have done it."
Portugal endured an 0-3 start to qualifying, and Miranda missed their opening 79-70 home defeat to Estonia due to injury.
But he returned to the fray and ultimately helped the Portuguese join an Additional Qualifying Round that also includes France, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Italy, Belgium and Finland.
"Those first three defeats were a lesson for all of us," Miranda said. "The main reason for that failure was us, the players, more than anyone else.
"Not much has changed in our team. The only thing was that we, the players, had the obligation to do better, and we did.
"We had seven injured players during qualifying. I have never witnessed anything similar since I joined the national team."
Against Latvia, Miguel Miranda played all 40 minutes and finished five of nine from three-point range.
"It was a victory for our team," Miranda said. "It was nothing personal. We deserved to win more than anyone."
Now Miranda and his teammates can go into their club seasons feeling good about their summer. Next year, the battles will start all over again.
Only one of the teams in the Additional Qualifying Round will reach the EuroBasket in Poland.
"I keep considering that Portugal has the same chances as any other team to seal a place to the EuroBasket," Miranda said.

Parker Doesn’t Waver In Commitment To France

2008-09-24T12:17:00.001-07:00

San Antonio Spurs star Tony Parker has firmly declared that he will be with France next summer when they compete in the Additional Qualifying Round for EuroBasket 2009.
Parker and France narrowly missed out on a direct qualifying place for next year's Final Round after finishing as the fourth best second-place team in Division A.
Turkey, who went undefeated and won Group C ahead of France (3-3), along with Great Britain, Serbia and FYR of Macedonia won their respective pools while Latvia, Israel and Bulgaria all came in second and beat Parker and Co to qualification.
When asked if he would play next summer, Parker said: "I don't even have to answer that question - I will be there, I am going to carry on. We must stay positive."
Parker was nearly unstoppable on offense in the qualifying campaign and signed off with 37 points in his team's 80-78 home defeat to Turkey on Saturday.
Had France been able to win that game, they would have clinched a place in Poland with a 4-2 record. As it was, their goal efficient was inferior to that of Israel and Bulgaria - the other second-place teams to finish with 3-3 records.
France coach Michel Gomez has tried to take the pressure off his players.
"If it is necessary to give me the axe, that's not a problem," he said.
"I assume the responsibility.
"The guys gave everything. That is sport, that is basketball.
"We just have to continue working hard and not believe we are the best."
Next summer, France will compete against Bosnia and Herzegovina, Italy, Portugal, Finland and Belgium for one EuroBasket 2009 spot that is still up for grabs.
The draw for the order of the games of the Additional Qualifying Round will take place in Warsaw, Poland on November 8.

Calderon Committed To Spain for EuroBasket 2009

2008-09-24T12:15:00.000-07:00

Spain guard Jose Manuel Calderon has underlined his commitment to the national side by announcing he fully intends to play at next summer's EuroBasket in Poland.
Calderon, who might have earned MVP honors at EuroBasket 2007 had the Spanish not lost to Russia in the final seconds, got hurt in his country's quarter-final win over Croatia at the Olympics and had to miss the semi-final win over Lithuania and gold medal game against the United States.
"We are missing a gold at the EuroBasket and the next tournament is a great opportunity to achieve that," said Toronto Raptors star Calderon.
"Will I be taking a break? No, if I am fit, I will play at the EuroBasket."
Spain center Pau Gasol recently hinted he may take next summer off to rest.
He said last week: "I will take a decision after the end of the season when I see how the season ends and how I feel physically and mentally."

Buoyant Bulgaria Hope To Build Momentum

2008-09-23T05:35:00.000-07:00

Forget the fact that Bulgaria only scraped their way into next year's EuroBasket in Poland.
They finished as the third best second-place team in Division A with four wins and four defeats in Group A, and ended up with a superior goal coefficient to that of France, who came in as runner-up to Turkey in Group C.
Bulgaria's inspirational coach, Israeli Pini Gershon, said bluntly: "The most important thing is that we
Ibrahim Jaaber led Bulgaria in scoring with 16 points per game.qualified."
The Bulgarians had an incredible summer, one with many twists and turns.
When Gershon accepted an offer to coach the team at the end of last year, expectations soared but in a qualifying group that also included Serbia, Italy, Hungary and Finland, it wasn't going to be easy.
The national team won against Hungary, Finland and Italy in its first three games under Gershon before falling to a first defeat in Serbia on September 3.
Gershon's men then had to stiffen their resolve after a heart-breaking setback in Hungary on September 6, where they lost to a shot in the final seconds by the home side.
But they rebounded in the next game with a gritty home triumph over Finland, and crucially did not lose to Italy by more than one point in Turin in their penultimate qualifying game.
Had that happened, then the Italians would have finished second and Bulgaria third because of the goal differential in their two meetings.
As it was, Bulgaria had a better goal average in Group A to finish above Italy. Their goal coefficient was so strong that only a huge blowout in Sofia against Serbia would have prevented them from advancing to Poland.

Finland Prove They Belong In Division A

2008-09-22T08:25:00.000-07:00

There is an enormous sense of pride in Finnish basketball following the national team's impressive summer in EuroBasket Division A's ‘Group of Death'.
Henrik Dettmann coached the team to three wins in eight games, a success rate that would have been gladly received by most supporters of the sport in the country before the Group A campaign got underway.
The Finns were rank outsiders going into games against Serbia, Italy, Bulgaria and Hungary and most people
Kimmo Muurinen had a big game for Finland as they completed the sweep of Hungary on the weekend.expected them to finish bottom.
By sweeping Hungary and upsetting Serbia at home, Finland safeguarded their status in Division A and also earned a trip to next year's Additional Qualifying Round.
They capped off their summer with an 88-73 triumph over Hungary on Saturday to clinch fourth place.
"It was an important win for Finnish basketball," Dettmann said.
"We are able to keep on competing against the top teams of the continent in addition to winning a second opportunity for a spot in European Championships.
"I am especially happy with the win coming in a must-win-situation."
What cannot be forgotten is that Finland only won promotion from Division B last summer.
Most teams want to consolidate their position in the top flight, which is what Dettmann's team has been able to achieve.
"This team really deserved the win," he said.
"They have been committed and working hard throughout the summer, which has been great for us in overall.
"I respect my players for putting their egos aside and thinking only the best of our team."

Battling Belgium Rewarded For Determination

2008-09-22T08:23:00.000-07:00

Belgium coach Eddy Casteels wants to make one thing very clear to his country's basketball fans.
The national team didn't just turn up to play against Ukraine this summer, the only side it beat in EuroBasket Division A to finish 2-4 in Group C.
The Belgians, Casteels says, also showed determination and focus throughout the qualifying campaign
Axel Hervelle provided a lift for Belgium as they upset Ukraine on the road.against Turkey, France and the Ukrainians.
"Everybody in Belgium will be talking about the two wins against Ukraine," Casteels said after Saturday's 76-58 triumph in Yuzhny.
"But I really am proud that we had great games against Turkey and France, also.
"We played with a lot of character, a lot of desire, and as a coach you really focus on that because that is really what you build into."
Belgium also defeated Ukraine 72-61 in Charleroi on September 10.
That first win over Ukraine came as somewhat of a surprise because Ukraine had gone into the game sky high after coming from behind in the fourth quarter to beat France just four days before.
EuroBasket qualifying games are unpredictable, though.
Ukraine, for example, could not have predicted that Belgium's best-known player from Real Madrid, Axel Hervelle, would show up in Yuzhny.
He had missed the first five qualifying games but arrived with his teammates to the arena on Saturday and then had a major impact on the game, scoring 17 points and pulling down seven rebounds.

Israel Snatch Improbable EuroBasket Place

2008-09-21T06:37:00.001-07:00

Israel had an incredible escape at home to defeat Great Britain in their opening EuroBasket 2009 qualifying game and on Saturday, they pulled off an even more impressive feat by destroying the Czech Republic 98-61 to earn a trip to next year's final round in Poland.
The Group D triumph improved Israel to 3-3, and the margin of victory was so large that it made their goal coefficient better than both Bulgaria and France.
Only the four Division A group winners, and the best three second-place teams advanced to the final round.
France ended up as the only second-place team not to earn a trip to Poland and will instead have to enter the Additional Qualifying Round next year.
The Czechs actually went into Saturday night's play with the best goal differential of the three teams with 2-3 records in Group D but they clearly did not recover from the huge disappointment of their 67-63 home defeat to Britain on Wednesday.
The setback has dropped them to bottom of Group D and into the Relegation Round.

Turkey the Unbeaten...

2008-09-20T16:33:00.000-07:00

The only undefeated team Turkey in the EuroBasket qualifying groups won their last match over France 78-80.

France majesty Tony Parker (183-G-80) was not enough for France to carry them directly to Eurobasket 2009 in Poland. France lost to undefeated Turkey at home 78:80. Fatih Solak (213-C-80) led the winners with 16 points and 6 rebounds. Sinan Guler (193-G-83, agency: 1x1 Sports, college: Carroll (MT)) netted 14, while Kerem Tunceri (190-G-79) scored 13. Tony Parker had a great night with 37 points, 7 rebounds and 5 assists for the hosts, whilst De Colo scored 9.

France remained in front in the third period and even after 21:22 in it had 56:52 advantage. Kerem Tunceri brought his team the taste of the lead at 63:60. Two more Tuneri free throws extended the lead back to three, and after Brun missed from long range, Fatih Solak made two at the line to put Turkey on top at 78:73. De Colo reduced it to 77:78 with 27 seconds remaining and Diawara scored one free throw for 78:80. He missed the second on purpose but Sinan Guler rebounded the ball and triumphed in the group with his Turkey.

France: Tony Parker 37+7 rebs+5 ast, De Colo 9

Turkey: Fatih Solak 16+6 rebs, Sinan Guler 14, Kerem Tunceri 13

Bulgaria Lose To Serbia But Qualify For EuroBasket

2008-09-20T14:45:00.000-07:00

Bulgaria lost for the second time this week on Saturday at home to EuroBasket qualifying Group A winners Serbia to fall to 4-4, but they still earned a trip to next year's final round in Poland.
Pini Gershon's team finished second ahead of Italy, who were also 4-4 but had a worse overall goal differential in the group than the Bulgarians.
They advanced to Poland next year as one of Division A's three best second-place teams.
Nenad Krstic had 17 points and nine rebounds for Serbia, while Ibrahim Jaaber scored 27 for Bulgaria.

Party Time In Skopje

2008-09-20T14:43:00.000-07:00

FYR of Macedonia finally clinched their passage to a EuroBasket with an 87-74 home victory over Estonia.
The triumph secured first place in qualifying Group B, something that was made possible by Latvia's late defeat in Portugal earlier in the night.
FYROM and Latvia finished with 4-2 records, but the former had a +1 goal differential in their two meetings and that is why they finished top of the pool.
Latvia also reached the EuroBasket as one of the three best second-place teams.
Estonia, who have had some fine moments in this Division A campaign, dropped to 1-5 and will now play in the Relegation Round.

Portuguese Shock Latvia For Third Straight Triumph

2008-09-20T14:39:00.000-07:00

The amazing basketball story that is Portugal lives on after a 93-92 home upset over Latvia on Saturday.
The Baltic men, who had already clinched a place in next year's EuroBasket, lost the Group B qualifying game to their nemesis and now may end up with second place in the pool if FYR of Macedonia win their last Division A clash against Estonia later in the night.
Meanwhile, Moncho Lopez's Portugal have rebounded from an 0-3 start that had disaster written all over it to seal a place in next year's Additional Qualifying Round. Their 3-3 record will be good enough to compete for the one place that will still be on offer for EuroBasket 2009 in Poland.
In this contest, the Portuguese beat the Latvians at their own game by making an eye-popping 19 three-pointers from 36 attempts. They also had to maintain their poise after blowing a big second-half advantage.

Hervelle Return Sparks Belgium In Vital Win At Ukraine

2008-09-20T14:35:00.000-07:00

Axel Hervelle scored 17 points and grabbed seven rebounds in his first EuroBasket qualifying game this summer and Christophe Beghin poured in a team-high 18 with 11 rebounds as Belgium won convincingly at Ukraine on Saturday in Kiev.
The Belgians completed a two-game sweep with a 76-58 triumph to clinch third place in Group C while Ukraine slumped to 1-5 and fell into the Relegation Round.
Hervelle, a star at Spanish giants Real Madrid who was unavailable in the earlier games, wasted no time in making his presence felt in this vital clash.
He had 11 points in the first 14 minutes of the contest as Belgium led 23-20.
Andriy Agafonov drilled a three-pointer for Ukraine to pull his team level, only for Lionel Bosco to follow with a three-point play to put Belgium in front for good with 5:04 remaining in the first half.

Gladyr Finally Shows Off Golden Shooting Touch

2008-09-18T17:28:00.002-07:00

Ukraine's Serhiy Gladyr finally showed his immense potential with the national team in midweek at France by converting all three of his attempts from long range in the fourth quarter on his way to 12 points.
The offense came at a good time as it ignited Ukraine's 16-5 run that cut France's lead to just one in the final period but the contribution wasn't enough.
Ukraine slumped to an 87-83 EuroBasket qualifying game defeat in Le Mans - their fourth defeat in five games.
Gladyr is disappointed by the team results, but at least he can be encouraged by his own play.
"I notice I'm getting more playing time," he said. "Maybe this is because I am trying extremely hard, I am giving it all for the team and the game."
Indeed, If Ukraine coach Valentyn Melnychuk and the country's basketball fans are looking for a silver lining to the otherwise dark cloud that is better known as their EuroBasket Division A, Group C campaign, they have Gladyr.
The 19-year-old shooting guard is expecting a very tough game on Saturday at home against Belgium, who beat them in the first meeting.

Latvia Get The Job Done

2008-09-18T17:28:00.001-07:00

There won't be too much pressure on Latvia heading into their game at Portugal on Saturday night.
The Latvians suffered a Group C knockout by Portugal at last year's EuroBasket, and the Portuguese (2-3) will be desperate to beat the Baltic side again as they attempt to reach the Additional Qualifying Tournament for next year's Final Round in Poland.
Latvia, who went into Wednesday's game against Estonia in second place on the back of a narrow defeat at FYR of Macedonia on Saturday, edged their Baltic showdown to improve to 4-1.
The Latvians will finish with a winning record and a very good goal differential to boot.
In other words, they are a cast-iron certainty to play in Poland next year where they will attempt to get rid of the lingering bad taste of their surprise exit at the hands of Portugal last year in Seville.
Latvia have arguably the star performer of EuroBasket Division A in Golden State Warriors big man Andris Biedrins.
The third leading scorer in the competition at 23 points per game, Biedrins is the leading rebounder at 13.8.
Latvia proved they could win without their star in crunch time on Wednesday.

Serbia, Latvia, Turkey & Great Britain advance

2008-09-18T17:28:00.000-07:00

Four teams qualified for the EuroBasket 2009 tournament to be held in Poland on Wednesday with wins in their respective qualifying groups. Serbia, Latvia, Turkey and Great Britain all took care of business, while Bulgaria, Macedonia and France can join them with wins on Saturday. Italy, Portugal, Israel, the Czech Republic and Bosnia-Herzegovina all still have chances to sneak in, but will need other results to go their way. Serbia wrapped up first place in Group A and avenged its only loss by crushing Finland 92-66. Olympiacos big man Zoran Erceg led the charge with 21 points and 7 rebounds. Latvia used a late 8-0 spurt to KO Estonia 72-67. Turkey clinched the top spot in Group C by besting Belgium 80-64 at home in Istanbul. FC Barcelona forward Ersan Ilyasova recorded 22 points and 8 rebounds as Turkey remained the lone undefeated squad in the qualifying. And in Group D, Great Britain won its fourth straight game, a 63-67 victory at the Czech Republic, becoming the first team in the group to win on the road.

Turkey Storm Into Eurobasket With Fifth Win

2008-09-17T17:00:00.001-07:00

Ersan Ilyasova and unbeaten Turkey dominated yet again on Wednesday in an 80-64 win over Belgium to clinch first place in their EuroBasket qualifying group and book a ticket to next year's final round in Poland.

Ilyasova, coming off his best professional season at Barcelona, had 22 points and eight rebounds for Bogdan Tanjevic's side as they won for the fifth time in Group B.
With Turkey leading 42-40 at the start of the second half after a basket from Belgium's Christophe Beghin, the hosts outscored the visitors 19-6 for a 61-46 stranglehold on proceedings.

Turkey twice led by as many as 20 in the fourth quarter before walking off the court with an 80-64 triumph.
Tanjevic's team was 26 of 45 (57.7%) inside the arc compared to Belgium's 16 of 34 (47%).
Oguz Savas had 13 points and Hedo Turkoglu 12 for Turkey.

Kerem Gönlüm had a team-high seven rebounds to go with his seven points for the winners.
Belgium, who slumped to 1-4, got 14 points from Roel Moors.

EuroBasket 2009 Preparations - Venues

2008-09-13T13:18:00.000-07:00

In the European Basketball Championship of 2009, all the games will be hosted by 7 venues in 7 host cities. And the Final phase of the competition will be hosted by Spodek in Katowice.

Lets take a look at these venues;

Poznan "Hala Arena"

Capacity: 4,200 Built in 1974

Gdansk "Hala Olivia" new arena,

Already in building Capacity: 5,500

Warszawa "Torwar Hall"

Capacity: 4,838 Built in 1953

EuroBasket 2009

2008-09-12T06:04:00.000-07:00

36th FIBA European Basketball Championship

The European Basketball Championship of 2009, universally known as EuroBasket 2009, will be hosted by Poland from September 7 to September 20,2009. This will be the second time the competition is held in Poland and this championship will be the 36th regional championship held by FIBA Europe.

Qualified teams

Eight teams qualified directly to EuroBasket 2009;

Poland - as host

Russia, Spain and Lithuania - by qualifying for Beijing Olympics

Greece, Germany, Croatia and Slovenia - by qualifying for FIBA World Olympic Qualifying Tournament 2008

Seven teams will qualify from the Qualifying Round that is being held from 20 August to 20 September 2008.
One last team will qualify from the Additional Qualifying Round, that will be held from August 5 to August 30, 2009.

Qualifying Round

The draw for the Qualifying Round was held on 16 February 2008 at Venice, Italy.

Group A : Italy - Serbia - Bulgaria - Hungary - Finland

Group B : FYR Macedonia - Estonia - Latvia - Portugal

Group C : Ukraine - Turkey - France - Belgium

Group D : Israel - Czech Republic - Bosnia and Herzegovina - Great Britain

The four group winners and the best three runners-up will qualify to EuroBasket 2009.
The best six of the remaining teams will go to the Additional Qualifying Round, from which one team will qualify to EuroBasket 2009.
The last four teams will go to the Relegation Round, from which two teams will relegate to Division B in 2010-2011.