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Lithuania announces squad for Olympic basketball training camp

Xinhua, June 9, 2016 Adjust font size:

Lithuanian men's basketball head coach Jonas Kazlauskas announced Wednesday a list of 20 players invited to the first training camp to prepare for the Olympic Games in Rio.

Kazlauskas, also former head coach of Chinese national team, said some players have not finished their seasons with their clubs.

"Besides, some of the players still feel consequences of the injuries of the recent season," Kazlauskas was quoted as saying.

"Therefore, we have to invite more players in order to have a decent training process," he added.

The first training camp starts on 20th June in Palanga sea resorts, Western Lithuania.

Veterans like 36-year-old centers Robertas Javtokas from Kaunas's Zalgiris and Darjus Lavrinovic from Reggio Emillia's Grissin Bon, Italy, will herald the team.

Jonas Valanciunas, 24, center of Toronto Raptors, is expected to join the training later.

Kazlauskas has invited 20-year-old forward Domantas Sabonis, son of legendary Arvydas Sabonis, from Gonzaga Bulldogs, NCAA, to join the training.

It remains unclear, whether power forward Donatas Motiejunas from the Houston Rockets will be able to join the team because of his health condition, according to Kazlauskas.

Lithuanian team still struggles to find a shift for the team's main point guard Mantas Kalnietis, currently playing for Milan's EA7 Emporio Armani.

"We see that the search of a substitution of Mantas Kalnietis, which has been ongoing for the third year, is long and not very successful so far," said Kazlauskas.

Lithuania is to play six warm-up matches against Spain, New Zealand, Tunisia, Venezuela, the Netherlands and Belarus.

Lithuania booked the ticket to Rio Olympics last year, by winning silver medals in the European basketball championship. The country finished 8th in the previous Olympics in London.

Rio Olympics will start on 5th August in Brazil. Endit