EuroBasket 2022 Group D: Jokic-led Serbia pursue maiden title

Serbia, Poland, Finland, Israel, Netherlands to compete in Group D of 2022 European Basketball Championship, along with group hosts Czech Republic

By Selcuk Bugra Gokalp

ANKARA (AA) - Serbia, Poland, Finland, Israel, and the Netherlands will compete in Group D of the 2022 European Basketball Championship (FIBA EuroBasket 2022), along with the group hosts the Czech Republic.

The 41st edition of the championship, which will also mark the first tournament to be held every four years, will begin on Thursday and will end with the final match on Sept. 18.

Georgia (A), Germany (B), Italy (C), and the Czech Republic (D) will host the group matches of the 2022 European Basketball Championship, while the knock-out phase will be held in Berlin.

- Czech Republic

The Group D hosts the Czech Republic could not secure any EuroBasket medals, except for the ones as a part of former Czechoslovakia, which was dissolved in 1993. The former state scored 12 medals in the tournament, including one gold in 1946.

The team's head coach is Ronen Ginzburg with the squad including Barcelona's Jan Vesely and Tomas Satoransky, who spent six years in NBA on their roster.

Former NBA player Vít Krejci is also present in their squad.

- Serbia:

Serbia is expected to be a title contender in this tournament with two silver medals in Poland in 2009, in Türkiye in 2017, and one bronze medal won in France in 1999.

The Serbia men's national basketball team secured an Olympic silver at the. 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio.

The Eagles also were the runner-ups in the 2014 FIBA World Cup, which was held in Spain.

Nikola Jokic, who was named NBA's Most Valuable Player of the last two seasons, is the biggest star the Serbians have in the tournament.

Barcelona forward Nikola Kalinic, Bayern Munich forward Vladimir Lucic, Fenerbahce Beko guard Marko Guduric and Anadolu Efes guard Vasilije Micic are the other notable players in the team's squad.

Serbia will compete under the helm of head coach Svetislav Pesic.

- Poland:

Poland's men's national basketball team will be looking for their maiden gold medal in the European Championship.

They bagged silver in the 1963 EuroBasket, which they hosted.

The White and Reds also won three bronze medals in 1939, 1965, and 1967.

Poland, which is under the helm of Igor Milicic, have Mateusz Ponitka, who was a former player in the Turkish club Karsiyaka and Zenit St. Petersburg.

A. J. Slaughter, who played for Panathinaikos, ASVEL, and Banvit before, is another prominent name in their squad.

- Finland:

Finland's best finish in the tournament's history was sixth place at EuroBasket 1967, which they hosted.

Coach Lassi Tuovi's team have yet to gain their first medals in their 17th appearance in EuroBasket.

Cleveland Cavaliers forward Lauri Markkanen and former Barcelona guard Petteri Koponen are the notable names in their squad.

- Israel:

The Israel men's national basketball team won silver in the Italy-hosted EuroBasket 1979.

Israelis have qualified to participate in all EuroBasket editions held since 1993.

Head coach Guy Goodes' team have Deni Avdija, who plays for NBA team the Washington Wizards, with Alba Berlin's Tamir Blatt and Maccabi Tel Aviv's Roman Sorkin in their squad list.

- Netherlands:

The Netherlands men's national basketball team will compete in their 16th EuroBasket tournament in 2022.

The Oranges have failed to qualify for the tournament for a long time. This marks the second EuroBasket edition since 1989 when the Netherlands qualified.

PAOK guard Yannick Franke is a notable name among the Maurizio Buscaglia- helmed team's roster as most of the squad plays in Belgium and the Netherlands.

- Group D Fixtures:

September 2:

Israel-Finland

Poland-Czech Republic

Serbia-Netherlands

September 3:

Finland-Poland

Czech Republic-Serbia

Netherlands-Israel

September 5:

Poland-Israel

Czech Republic-Netherlands