Vigo, capital of women’s basketball

It will be next May, between the 24th and 26th, with three extraordinary selections. Spain, China (runner-up in the world) and Italy They will play one of the most important tournaments on the continent. And it is that Spain and Italy will be in those moments with the preparation of the Eurobasket that will be played between June 15 and 25 between Israel and Slovenia. In addition, the team will prepare in Vigo.

The presentation of the tournament was staged yesterday morning in the charming Quirós pavilion, with the presence of the presidents of the Spanish and Galician Federation, Jorge Garbajosa and Julio Bernárdez and the women’s national coach, Miguel Méndez; the president of the Provincial Council, Carmela Silva, the mayor of Vigo, Abel Caballero, who were accompanied by Gorka Gómez and Manel Fernández.

Along with the authorities, the first team of Celta Zorka Recalvi with its coaching staff and management; and a representation of Seis do Nadal with Sergio González in front.

the best teams

The Vigo tournament will bring together the best teams of the moment. Spain and Italy achieved their classification after the conclusion of the qualifying phase. The team coached by Miguel Méndez finished first from a group in which, in addition to the Spanish, Iceland, Romania and Hungary played. Spain won all six games, with the presence of up to two from Vigo, María Araújo and Marta Canella, who was joined by Paula Ginzo from Ourense and in which Raquel Carrera, also from Ourense and exceltic, was absent due to injury.

Spain is in the process of remodeling after the withdrawal of several of the players who led Spanish women’s basketball to the top of the podium. A phase with Miguel Méndez in front and that, for the moment, nothing bad has happened.

Italy was not far behind on the way to the Eurobasket either. It was framed in the group together with Slovakia, Luxembourg and Switzerland. They won all six matches, and will also be in the championship, meeting the Spanish on the way to medals.

Distinguished Vigues

It was a morning of good news for women’s basketball from Vigo, because before entering the presentation, Abel Caballero informed Miguel Méndez that he will be named Distinguished Vigués. A piece of news that left the coach confused since he was not expecting it, and which was received with a standing ovation from all those present.

Another of the important news of the day was communicated by the mayor, when informing Jorge Garbajosa, that Vigo will present its candidacy to organize, at the end of April, the promotion phase to the Endesa Women’s League. And it is that it does not go unnoticed, that in recent years, the team that organized the promotion phase achieved promotion to the highest category.

Despite being the morning of women’s basketball, the mayor did not forget men’s basketball and with the new president of the Galician Federation, Julio Bernárdez, advocated recovering work with projects such as the Gestibérica Vigo, or the Quino Salvo Memorial, which They came to fill the As Travesas pavilion.

He President of the Spanish Basketball Federation, Jorge Garbajosa, recognized that he was “very happy because it had been a long time since we had come to Vigo and it is a pleasure. Later, both the president of the Provincial Council and the mayor could not put more love and dedication to achieve it, which is not easy, since we started a new path with the help of a coach from Vigo, Miguel, in his house . It is very symbolic, also on the day of the inauguration of the new president of the Galician Federation, to whom we have already offered our full collaboration. We started a very beautiful path, that after losing the World Cup due to our own demerits, we began the path to rebuild our women’s basketball at the highest level, and that these two players who will represent us are the top of the pyramid of good health in the women’s basketball in Spain and Galicia.

The team, in addition to the tournament, will also prepare for that Eurobasket in Vigo. “In addition to work, it is our duty to leave a legacy where we go. Vigo is a reference in women’s basketball, and I forgot to say the number of Galician players who are going to be part of this team. If we want to, and both the mayor and the president have asked us to do so, we should leave something behind, that we should leave behind that flame of women’s basketball, which we want to implement for the future. Delighted to spend a few days in Vigo, the facilities are unbeatable and above all, the love”.

Miguel Mendez He arrived at the Quirós pavilion to present a basketball tournament and ended up as Distinguished Vigués (well, he found out that he will be). “The truth is that I am surprised. The warden told me when we were outside the pavilion and the truth is that I am very proud that my city thinks of me, especially after having been away from here for so many years. Receiving recognition is always nice, and it has been extended to all basketball in Vigo, to begin with, because it is a team sport, but with capital letters. Therefore I want to share it with all the people who have helped me throughout my career”.

On whether the selection is an award for his long career, Miguel Méndez pointed out that “everything that is happening to me lately is an award. It is a very big responsibility, because it is the tip of the pyramid and I am privileged to collect the work that so many coaches do, much more anonymous, who work in small clubs”.

Regarding the moment of change that the national team is experiencing, Méndez indicated that “it is true that we have reached a point where very important players have retired, surely the best generation of players we have ever had. The change is coming very naturally. Some players leave, others appear and now there are many whose presence is very important. It’s the job, and we want to build that team that once again rubs shoulders with the great teams. In the last European one we were seventh, and we want to be on top”.