BB.lv: I’m disappointed that we didn’t give another reason to celebrate

It was already reported that the Latvian men’s basketball team lost to Brazil in the final of the Paris Olympic qualifying tournament in Riga on Sunday and did not win an Olympic ticket. Latvia suffered a defeat with a score of 69:94 (11:34, 22:15, 13:23, 23:22).

“Brazil played an incredibly good game. They used their size and physicality from the start. We expected there to be excitement on the field. In the previous game, we left a lot of energy on the field once morest 12 athletic opponents. basket, Today, under the basket, the opponents were able to beat us with their height,” said Banki.

Although the Latvian team was left without a ticket to the Olympic Games, Bánki did not hide the fact that a lot had been done over the past three years.

“We were the only European team to advance from the subgroup in this tournament. We had to overcome the barrier of a very athletic Cameroon to reach the final. Today we were faced with reality, because the Brazilians played an inspiring match. We did not show the same energy and aggression as in the first match once morest Georgia, as well as in the semi-final once morest Cameroon,” concluded Banki.

“I appreciate how the whole country supported the whole team. I am very sorry and disappointed that we did not give another reason to celebrate. We never stopped believing and fighting, even on such a difficult day as today,” the coach continued.

Banki also stressed that if three years ago Latvia’s success might be called a Cinderella tale and the team might not be considered one of the favourites, now the team has the confidence and honour of being among the best teams.

“Appreciate the players who have done a great job and can help us experience many more great moments in the future,” Banks said.

“We lost the final, but that doesn’t change the fact that this is a good period in Latvian basketball. We prepared for each game with the knowledge that we might win. Latvia has less than two million inhabitants, and we were playing once morest a country with a population of millions,” Bánki said.

The Latvian men’s basketball team has only participated in the Olympic Games once, in 1936 in Berlin. The women’s team participated in the 2008 Olympic Games tournament in Beijing.