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The closest deadline concerns the Belgian Lions who embark this Friday in the direction of Istanbul in order to play one of the two European pre-Olympic qualifying tournaments. The first stage only of a qualifying course which will leave almost no room for error to the men’s national team.
Euro 2025 basketball qualifications: Spain, Latvia and Slovakia opponents of Belgium in qualifications
For this tournament in the Turkish capital, the Lions have been placed in a group with Croatia, the Netherlands and Sweden. If they manage to climb into the top two, the Belgians will then face a team from the other group (Turkey, Ukraine, Bulgaria, Iceland) in the semi-finals. Only the final winner will win their ticket to access one of the last four Olympic qualifying tournaments in June 2024, which they will also have to win to join Paris next summer.
A long and difficult path, resembling an almost impossible mission for the Belgian Lions (30th in the world ranking), who will have to accumulate many exploits to be part of the 12 nations qualified for the Olympic Games. In its history, the men’s team has participated in the Games three times (in 1936, 1948 and 1952).
The Belgian Cats have a good chance of being in Paris
Despite their new status as reigning European champions, the Belgian Cats will have to go through an Olympic qualification tournament in February 2024. The chances of seeing them participate in a second consecutive Olympiad are nevertheless very high. The four qualifying tournaments, for which the draw has not yet taken place, will each bring together four teams who will all compete against each other. In each group, the three highest ranked teams will qualify for the Games.
To increase its chances, the Belgian Federation has submitted a bid to organize one of these tournaments in Antwerp, as was the case in Ostend in 2020. Eliminated by Japan in the quarter-finals in Tokyo, the Cats will have the ambition to do better in Paris.
Lions 3×3 via TQO in June 2024
For the second time in history, 3×3 basketball will be present at the Olympic Games. As in 2020, the 3×3 Lions will go through an Olympic qualifying tournament next June to try to participate in a second Olympiad. Unless their world ranking (7th) changes by then via Euro 2023 to be held in September in Israel.
As for our women’s team, it is too far in the world ranking to take part in the Olympic qualifications.
Hockey: the Euro as the main objective
It is this Friday, August 18 that the serious things will begin for our two national hockey teams. The Red Lions and the Red Panthers will start the Euro, in Mönchengladbach (Germany), a qualifying tournament for the 2024 Olympic Games. A victory during this competition which takes place from August 18 to 27 will automatically send the team to Paris.
If the men of Michel van den Heuvel and the girls of Raoul Erhen fail to pocket the continental title, they will have to go through qualifying tournaments. For the men, Lahore (Pakistan) and Valencia (Spain) will welcome seven European nations at the beginning of January 2024. Eight European nations will be invited at the same period on the side of Changzhou (China) and Valencia (Spain) for the ladies. The top 3 of these tournaments will be sent to the Olympic Games and will join France, which has already qualified as host country.
Volleyball: a small chance for the Yellow Tigers
For Paris 2024, the qualifying tournament in September will distribute the tickets. In addition to France (qualified automatically), 22 other teams (11 for men and women) will join Paris. The qualification system is identical for men and women. For each world ranking, the 24 best nations (except France) are divided into three pools of eight. Only the two best nations of these pools are qualified directly. The remaining five places will be allocated based on the June 2024 ranking, with priority given to continents that have not yet qualified.
The Yellow Tigers are in 13th place but are in the group of Turkey (n°1 and winner of the World Nations League) and Brazil. The podium (non-qualifier) of this pool disputed in Japan (from 16 to 24/09) will be played between Japan and Belgium. The Red Dragons (23rd) will play their qualifier in China (from 30/09 to 8/10) alongside China, Poland and Canada. It is with the girls that Belgium has the best chances.
©vincent duterne
Football: it looks complicated for the Red Flames
At the Olympic Games, football is represented by the senior teams for the ladies and by the hopeful teams for the men. For Belgium, only the Red Flames are still eligible. Eliminated in the group stages of the last Euro U21, the Devils no longer have a chance.
The process for the ladies is new for European teams. It is the brand new Nations League which will distribute the last two European tickets. The two finalists of the competition will join Paris (or the 3rd if France, already qualified, is finalist of the NL). Belgium is in League A and paid into Pool A with England, the Netherlands and Scotland. To see Paris, the Red Flames must therefore first finish first in their pool and then win their semi-final (which the first four teams from the League A pools join).
For the Flames, the objective in the Nations League is above all to avoid relegation to League B.
