Basketball, always basketball. The sport that has never left him since he was captivated. The Danish Mads Bonde Stürup, born in Gladsaxe and now a tenant in Fontajau, grew up watching Barça or La Penya matches. The ACB fascinated him. He was stunned to see Ricky Rubio, still a teenager, compete against anyone as if he were the oldest on the floor. Juan Carlos Navarro’s class had also captivated him. It didn’t take long for him to decide: yes or no, he wanted to play in Spain. To the elite, to be able to be. How to say no to the best league in Europe? “I always wanted to play in the ACB and not in the NBA in the United States. Don’t ask me why. But I watched the matches and they seemed incredible to me “, she is sincere. He does it with perfect Spanish.
A sign that, at least in part, he has fulfilled his dream. He has lived in Spain since 2016. A special year he will never forget. For the drastic change he faced. Chosen, because he decided to leave and has never regretted it. It was enough to be in the Fog Naestved, the club where he began to chop stone, to forge. It’s time to pack up. A leap that was not easy, but that ended up being very productive.
Óbila CB, club from Ávila, was the first stop. From the bottom, starting with the EBA, now the fourth category. “It was my first experience and it didn’t cost me much, because I wanted to change my mind. But he didn’t speak a word of Spanish and the relationship with his classmates, at least at the beginning, was a little more difficult “. It’s hard to imagine seeing him now, fluent in English and Danish, too. He is even encouraged by Catalan. “I’m a little tired of talking about it,” he admits. He flew to Tenerife in 2017 and there, despite spending a couple of years competing with an EBA, he would also have a chance to make his ACB debut. Dream fulfilled. It was only four games with Iberostar Tenerife, the club that owned it. Later, I return to compete in Silver with Zamora and Pardinyes, before tasting the LEB Or with Bàsquet Girona. And he’s only 24 years old.
“I always make jokes, but I don’t lie. I’ve been here for six years and I can already say that I’ve played in every professional category out there. That’s definitely a record. ” He even had minutes in the Champions League, one of the European competitions. He would like to consolidate, not go around here and there. Although this would not be a problem. He now lives in Girona, a city whose heart is stolen. “It simply came to our notice then. I love where I live and whenever I can I run away for coffee in the old quarter. He often receives visits from friends, family and also from his girlfriend, a native of Tenerife. “I’m very comfortable here and I would stay. It’s a top spot, ”he adds. He admits that he “sometimes” misses Denmark, his homeland, but it is a passing memory. “I don’t complain about the life I’ve chosen.”
He has the opportunity to return home when he has holidays or also when it is his turn to play with the national team. “It’s always a pride to go there. Those who know me come to see me and can check my evolution. Because Stürup has been improving, even though he thinks his roof is still far away. “Of course I want to consolidate in an ACB club. It’s my dream. But I go every day, I don’t set any long-term goals. ”
Lleida and the promotion promotion
In Fontajau, he poked his head out. Jordi Sargatal counts and he is very satisfied. After a “very hard” start to the season and when it came to “surviving”, things are rolling. The streak is so good that the play-off to go up is almost a reality. “It simply came to our notice then. The next matches will be important because we want to finish the league in the best possible way “. On Sunday, he will play “partitarro” against Força Lleida. It will be time to reunite with Gerard Encuentra, who coached him two seasons ago at Pardinyes. “It simply came to our notice then. It could very well be a duel to move up a category. Because Stürup, like his dressing room mates, despite saying it with a small mouth, dreams of making the leap. “We think about the present, but if we have the opportunity, we will go for it all.” He ends by talking about Marc Gasol. “Having him means a lot to us, but we have a lot of other players with a lot of experience. Such as Txemi Urtasun ». Two proper names with past and minutes in the ACB. Precisely where the Dane expects to arrive sooner or later. This time, yes, to stay.
