Late in the afternoon, five gold medals from champions in the U16 European Championship in North Macedonia arrived at the Joaquín Sorolla de València station. The valuable metal shone on the necks of the coach, Xavi Albert, the assistant Ferran Pizcueta, the players Sergi Kamu and Dídac Cebolla, and the doctor Pedro Durán. The first four represented Valencia Basket coaches and players, and the last one, Picken Claret.
At 36 years old, Xavi Albert’s evolution on the bench continues unstoppable. Last season he had the affiliate, CB L’Horta Godella, very close to being promoted to LEB Oro and received a call from Portland to assist the Trail Blazers staff in the NBA Summer League. Now, gold, and in a few days he will make his debut as a member of Álex Mumbrú’s coaching staff in the first team. «For me, it is a dream come true to be able to be on the bench of La Fonteta. My first memory in the pavilion is when I was about six years old with my father and seeing the Dicenta team, Barros… I’ve seen a lot of basketball there. Each step taken is an open window to continue improving”.
Referring to the gold won in Skopje, he says: «The most important thing in a European cadet is the experience that the players bring from having been competing with the best, the tension of the national team matches. This championship implies the first international experience for them, if they win gold on top of that, the prize is double”. For Albert, the reason for the increase in the number of players and coaches in the lower ranks of Spain lies in L’Alqueria del Basket. “Because of its facilities and its resources, I would say that it is like a basketball university that enhances the competitiveness and level of its professionals: players, coaches, physical trainers, physiotherapists, etc.”, he explains.
2023-08-15 02:00:29
#European #cadet #gold #double #prize
