Shooting for Olympic medal

National basketball team voices its ambition to finish on the podium in Beijing next month

Greece basketball stars Yiannis Bourousis (left) and Giorgos Printezis have high hopes for the national team’s showing at the Beijing Olympic Games next month.

Greece basketball players consider themselves among the favorites for a medal at the Beijing Olympics next month.

Speaking at a sponsored event in Athens yesterday, forward Costas Tsartsaris said Greece can be on the winners’ podium “although spectacular basketball does not necessarily give you a medal.” Giorgos Printezis added, “We are in great shape and deserve a good position and a medal.”

“If we do well in the first knockout game then the road will be open for a medal,” said forward Yiannis Bourousis. “The team must do its best on the court and not in theory.”

Coach Panayiotis Yiannakis was more reserved, as usual, avoiding making a reference to the team’s target. “At the moment we are trying to cooperate better and faster in practice, not just in thought.”

He added that the squad is trying to adjust to the time difference and the climate it will face when it travels to China. “We are adjusting to the times at which we will be playing there as most of our games are in the afternoon, except for one in the morning and one in the evening. We still have more than 10 days ahead of us and we will adjust. This is why we are going there early, on August 4,” Yiannakis said.

The Olympic Games basketball tournament begins on August 10 and concludes on August 24.

Meanwhile, the national Under-18 basketball team has reached the second round of the European Championship, held at Amaliada and Pyrgos, in the eastern Peloponnese.

The Greek teenagers won their group and have now transferred two of their three wins to the second group stage that begins today.

Greece started its campaign with a 77-73 win over Spain on Friday and ensured the group’s top spot with an easy 89-67 victory over Israel on Saturday.

The match against Belgium on Sunday was a formality for the hosts; Greece won 66-55 but were sorry to see Vladimir Jankovic break his metatarsal and face surgery that rules the Panionios player out for the rest of the tournament and a total of three months. Coach Giorgos Vlassopoulos said the team is dedicating the Belgium win to their unfortunate colleague.

Greece is now in the next round along with Spain and Israel and faces Italy at 7 p.m. today.

It will also meet with Serbia and Lithuania tomorrow and on Thursday respectively. The tournament concludes on Sunday, August 3.