Two days following the qualification of our National team to the Olympic Games of Paris, Mr Vangelis Liolios speak exclusively to Peloponnisos FM 104,1 and the show “Together in the air… good morning!” of Costas Lambropoulou regarding the secrets of success and the next day when he finds the “official sweetheart” in a new era of prosperity and – above all – hugs and warm support from the Greek fans.
In detail, everything that the paternal president of the Hellenic Basketball Federation mentioned on our radio, also answering questions from listeners:
For the success of qualifying for the Olympic Games in Paris: “Coaching staff and players did a great job. I also want to congratulate all the people of the Federation. The result was visible and seen by those who were on the field, but also by those who watched the games on television. For 16 years we have had an absence of major global events. Apart from the organizational success, we also had a competitive qualifying success, so we had a great week. In order to reach this result, a work of at least 5-6 months preceded. Competitively, Vassilis (s. Spanoulis) had built the team in his mind a long time ago. The children became a group. The national team smelled of Greece as it used to be. This transition was purely a 100% success of the coach. We as a Federation provided what the coach and the players needed to improve their conditions. They also played in a transformed stadium. If someone saw this stadium, they would say that we are playing somewhere else and not at SEF”.
On the difficulty of the tournament and the dynamics of the opponents: “This particular tournament, whose draw had been made many months before, was the most difficult of the 4 that took place. Three teams were found that all three might have got the ticket if they were in other Clubs. Fatefully two of the three strongest teams would be left out. And the Dominican team, however, who came down short, is a very strong team, regardless of the fact that we beat them by a big margin. From the Croats, the Dominicans lost on a layup.”
For the goal in Lille and Paris: “The Pre-Olympic Tournament was difficult. In the Olympic Games, things will be even more difficult, but our National team plays hard in all games, has metal and plays like our National teams used to play. Players play for each other. The manner and passion of our internationals is awesome. We love to see them. One more victory in the Olympics can bring different results in the final ranking. The players and the coach have received the positive energy of the crowd.”
On whether he feels vindicated by hosting the Pre-Olympic Tournament in Patras: “Yes, I feel justified that we brought the Pre-Olympic Tournament to Greece. The whole cost of bringing such a tournament is not small. We will announce all the details. But the sign is positive. All the money came from sponsors and tickets. We had done our calculations all along and were going with relative safety. When you bring such a big event, which costs a lot of money, if you use it properly, it also brings income. We have to learn at some point in Greece that we can bring big events and with proper handling, everyone can be satisfied. Besides, the EEC has shown all this time that the money goes back to the teams”.
For the hug with Vassilis Spanoulis following qualifying: “We said something to each other, something personal, it was a moment of emotion and joy that came to us following the end of the games and the success! We’re moving forward!”.
Regarding the presence of Giannis Antetokounmpo in the National team: “Yiannis always plays with the National team, except last year when he had an operation. And now he has come back from a long absence due to injury. He wanted more than all of us to go to the Olympics. You saw how he celebrated, how he cried. The proposal of the Federation is to be the standard bearer of the Greek mission at the Olympic Games. Miltos Tedoglou is a super athlete. From the moment he was not accepted for competitive reasons, Giannis comes to all of our minds”.
To claim other events: “When the nominations for EuroBasket 2029 open, our intention is to claim not only Group, but also the final phase. Greece has entered the major competitions. It is our intention, our mood. FIBA was pleased, I think we have a lead as long as the will and the financial balance are there. Maybe we’ll claim other competitions as well.”
For the presence of the “legends” of Greek basketball at SEF:“All generations of basketball were on the court. The children really felt like the whole world was with them. Nikos Galis, Panagiotis Giannakis in the front line, Diamantidis, Papaloukas, Dikoudis, Tsartsaris. This means united basketball and we are putting it into practice.”
On whether he feels vindicated with the choice of Spanoulis: “From the first moment I believed in Vassilis Spanoulis. The vindication for all of us was seen not only by the result of the qualification, but by the climate of communication within the National team. sometimes the difference between victory and defeat is a shot and a rebound, but the character of the team can be seen from how you play for 40 minutes. And this is a success of Vassilis Spanoulis”.
On what we need to improve in Greek basketball: “The successes of the National team are always capitalized and bring people to the sport. However, they also need successful moves from us. We are up and up. We have positive samples. What we need to improve both as basketball and as Greek society is the relationships between the teams, to have more honest relationships, to get rid of the strong statements, the toxicity. When those are gone, basketball will take off. It is a brake that holds us back. I also understand the intensity of the games and that everyone wants their team to win. It goes without saying that above all, however, is basketball. And it is also the National team, it brings the next day. From October we will deal with the clubs. That’s where a quality is needed from all of us, productive, coaching, etc. That’s where we have to work together as basketball people, so that every year we get better. We expect from the success of the national team more children in basketball. There is a lack of basketball facilities and spaces. We have to work on it. It is our responsibility and that of the teams. With cooperation with the Unions and the groups’ agents, the desired result will come.”
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