Philip Mestdagh is ending his activities as coach of the Belgian Cats, the coach of the year and Basketball Belgium have mutually agreed. The Cats bid farewell to coach Mestdagh after 6 years and will resume their activities next November with a new coach at the helm.
« We felt it was time to blow a new wind ”, explains general manager Koen Umans. ” with all the staff, Philip brought the Belgian Cats to the world level: 89 international matches on the clock with a 6th place in the world ranking. The most beautiful pages in the history of Belgian basketball bear his mark. We would like to expressly thank Philip for his investment over these many years. He belongs to our Hall of Fame for what he has accomplished with the Belgian Cats. The election as coach of the year 2020, all sports combined, confirms the appreciation of the person and the recognition of his impact by the sports community in the broadest sense of the term.
And its merits are not the least. Under Mestdagh, the Cats qualified again in 2017 for a European Championship after a 10-year absence. From the bronze medal at the European Championships in 2017, he moved up to 4th place at the World Cup in 2018. A year later, the Cats came back with a 5th place in the European Championships and in 2020, they qualified for the Olympic Games in Ostend for the first time in history. Last summer Meesseman and co won a bronze medal at the European Championships. At the Olympics, the Cats reached the quarterfinals.
« I am extremely grateful and proud of the journey I have taken with the group of players ”, Mestdagh said. ” It’s not easy to say goodbye now. I would like to thank the players and the federation for our cooperation in recent years. The Belgian Cats are forever in my heart: thank you ladies, thank you the staff, we have had a fantastic journey together. I now focus entirely on my club in the French league.
It is not yet clear who will be the new coach of the Cats. ” Talks are in progress », this Umans. « We hope to be able to introduce the new coach soon. »
The Belgian Cats will play their first qualifying match for the 2023 European Championship on November 11 in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Germany will visit them on November 14.
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