Off the wire
• Dollar changes hands in upper 121 yen zone in early Tokyo deals  • Brazil to appeal Neymar World Cup qualifying ban  • Xinhua world news summary at 0030 GMT, July 10  • Tokyo shares open mixed amid continuous Greek jitters  • Wimbledon order of play on Friday  • Powell, Gay fail to beat Gatlin in Lausanne  • Argentina's Scola joins Toronto Raptors  • Women's semifinal results of Wimbledon  • Australian airlines continue to cancel flights to Bali  • Greek debt deal proposal submitted to lenders, parliament for approval  
You are here: 　 Home

Lithuania unveils candidates for EuroBasket 2015

Xinhua, July 10, 2015 Adjust font size:

Jonas Kazlauskas, the head coach of Lithuanian men's national basketball team, picked on Thursday 18 players to prepare for the European basketball championship this fall.

Kazlauskas, a former head coach of Chinese national team, said the 18 players would attend their first training camp in Palanga, Lithuanian sea resort, on July 20.

Kazlauskas had planned to call up 25 players but later was forced to cut his list short due to injuries.

"One shouldn't concentrate his attention on what happened earlier and should find a way to victories instead," Kazlauskas said in a press conference on Thursday.

"I think the national team will be strong as usual," he added.

Due to injuries, Houston Rockets forward Donatas Motiejunas, Olimpia Milano forward and team captain Linas Kleiza will miss the championship as well as Martynas Pocius, guard from Galatasaray, Istanbul.

Ksistof Lavrinovic, national team veteran and forward of Lithuania's Lietuvos rytas, Vilnius, ended his career at the national team, while the participation of his twin brother Darjus, forward from team Grissin Bon, Reggio Emilia in Italy, is yet to decide his future.

Lithuanian national basketball team will be led by Jonas Valanciunas, center forward from Toronto Raptors, Mantas Kalnietis, guard from Lokomotiva, Krasnodar, Russia, veteran forwards Robertas Javtokas and Paulius Jankunas from Lithuania's champions Zalgiris, Kaunas.

According to the announcement from Lithuania's basketball federation, the final list is to be announced after finishing preparation tournaments in late July and August. Lithuanian team will play 10 matches with Australian, Finnish, Turkish, Croatian and Macedonian teams. Three matches are sponsored by Chinese company Huawei.

The 39 edition of EuroBasket will take place from Sept. 5 to 20, in France, Croatia, Germany and Latvia.

Lithuania won European basketball championship gold medals in 1937, 1939 and 2003. Endi