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Roundup: FIBA president explores Lithuanian basketball phenomenon

Xinhua, August 26, 2015 Adjust font size:

Horacio Muratore, the president of FIBA, met with Lithuanian prime minister on Tuesday, concluding his first visit in Lithuania.

Muratore is on a mission to introduce five strongest basketball countries with upcoming changes in FIBA, its development and new Olympic selection scheme for basketball teams.

Lithuania, a small Baltic country with 3 million people, is the fourth strongest basketball nation in the world, after the United States, Spain and Argentina and followed by France.

According to Muratore, during his visit, he wanted to see Lithuanian basketball phenomenon.

"It is really incredible that a small country with a population of just 3 million inhabitants is having such a huge success in basketball," Muratore told reporters after meeting Loreta Grauziniene, Lithuanian Speaker of the Seimas, Lithuanian parliament, at the start of his visit on Monday.

During his visit, FIBA president was accompanied by Arvydas Sabonis, the president of Lithuanian basketball federation and the most famous former basketball player of Lithuania.

While exploring Lithuanian basketball infrastructure and organizational structure, Muratore visited the basketball academy established by Sarunas Marciulionis, another legendary Lithuanian basketball player, as well as Sabonis' basketball center.

The president of FIBA also met with Algirdas Butkevicius, Lithuanian prime minister, on Tuesday.

"Lithuania is small on geographical map, but really considerable on the basketball map," said Butkevicius.

Muratore expressed his belief Lithuanian national basketball team will win one of the two tickets to Rio Olympics during EuroBasket 2015, the European basketball championship, this fall without attending the qualifying tournament.

"I'm already convinced Lithuanian team is capable of winning the first or the second place in the European championship finals in Lille, France," Muratore was quoted as saying by Lithuanian national radio LRT.

"Speaking of the teams at the third, fourth and fifth places, they will have to attend a qualification tournament," reminded the FIBA president.

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

Lithuania, a small Baltic state, has won European basketball championship gold medals in 1937, 1939 and 2003. Lithuanian national men team has also won Olympic bronze medals in 1992, 1996 and 2000 as well as bronze medals in World basketball championship in 2010. Endit