Mārtiņš Gulbis | Photo: Ieva Leiniša/LETA
The head coach of the Latvian women’s national basketball team, Mārtiņš Gulbis, has named the basketball players who will start preparing for the first match of the 2025 European Championship qualification tournament with the French national team on Monday, November 6 (Thursday, November 9, in Poitiers), informs the Latvian Basketball Association (LBS). The candidates include 14 players, including one potential debutant.
Head coach Mārtiņš Gulbis will be assisted by U20 national team manager Aigars Nerips and Matīss Rožlapa, who is working in Germany this season. Both assistants also have a lot of experience in the national team. Aigars Nerips 2012-2013 was the head coach in 2006-2008, 2010-2011 and 2015-2019. in 2018 – an assistant, while Matīss Rožlapa has been an assistant to the head coach since 2020.
“The list of candidates includes both experienced and young players, many of whom have successfully represented Latvia in youth tournaments. The time has come to join the national team, earn your opportunities and use them. Together with coaches Aigaras Neripas and Matīs Rožlapas, we have followed the progress of our players in detail during the first month of the season. It is a pleasure that many are playing at a high level, also in the Euroleague and FIBA Cup. There is no shortage of information about the French national team. The opponents will not have two potential leaders in the line-up this time, but the style will not change – we are waiting for a fight with athletic, physically powerful opponents. It’s a very hard nut to crack, but I believe that if we prepare well, believe in ourselves, show our best performance and fight as a united team, we can play well,” said Gulbis.
The Latvian team will have only one game in this match. Taking into account the situation in Israel and security considerations, the Executive Committee of the European Division of FIBA has postponed the European Women’s Basketball Championship qualifying tournament games with the participation of the Israeli women’s national team from November 2023 to February 2024. The game Israel – Ireland is scheduled for February 8, and the game Latvia – Israel – February 11.
List of candidates
Team management
Mārtiņš Gulbis Head coach Aigars Nerips Coach Matīss Rožlapa Coach Ivars Ikstens Physical fitness coach Mārtiņš Pulveris Doctor Mārcis Jakovičs Doctor Līga Folkmane-Eglīte Physiotherapist Ansis Biedris Physiotherapist Edijs Eglītis
36 national teams are participating in the 2025 European Women’s Basketball Championship qualification tournament, including all four host countries – the Czech Republic, Greece, Italy and Germany, which are guaranteed a place in the final tournament. They will form one group and play a test tournament among themselves. The other 32 teams were divided into eight groups and will fight for 12 tickets. The 8 winners of the qualification groups and the four best runners-up will receive a ticket to the final tournament. In November 2024, the Latvian national team will have an away game in Ireland and will have to host France at home. In February 2025, a trip to Israel and a home game with Ireland.
2023-10-30 11:08:19
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