By Selcuk Bugra Gokalp
ANKARA (AA) - Greece, Estonia, Ukraine, Great Britain, and Croatia will compete in Group C of the 2022 European Basketball Championship (FIBA EuroBasket 2022), along with group hosts Italy.
The 41st edition of the championship, which will also mark the first tournament to be held on a four-year basis, will begin on Thursday and 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 championship while the knock-out phase will be held in Berlin, Germany.
- Italy
Group C hosts Italy bagged the gold medal in EuroBasket twice, once in 1983 and again in 1999, both hosted by France.
They have achieved success in the tournament, having won a total of 10 medals in the organization's history: Four silver in 1937, 1946, 1991, and 1997 and four bronze in 1971, 1975, 1985, and 2003.
The Blues also have two silver medals in the Olympics: Moscow 1980 and Athens 2004.
Meo Sacchetti is serving as Italy's head coach, while several important players are on the team roster.
The most remarkable name is Danilo Gallinari, an NBA veteran who played for the New York Knicks, Denver Nuggets, Los Angeles Clippers, Oklahoma City Thunder, Atlanta Hawks, and Boston Celtics.
Former NBA player, forward Nicolo Melli, played for the New Orleans Pelicans and Dallas Mavericks throughout his career.
- Greece
Two-time FIBA EuroBasket champs, the Greek men's national basketball team, achieved victory in Athens in 1987 and Serbia and Montenegro in 2005.
Including the two golds, they have a total of five medals in the tournament's history, with one silver in 1989 and two bronze in 1949 and 2009.
The Blue Whites also bagged a silver medal in the 2006 FIBA World Championship, held in Japan.
Twice MVP in the NBA, Giannis Antetokounmpo is the biggest star on the Greek team. In the 2021 season, he bagged an NBA title with the Milwaukee Bucks.
Coached by Dimitris Itoudis, the Greek roster also includes Tyler Dorsey, who played for the Atlanta Hawks, Memphis Grizzlies, and Dallas Mavericks in his NBA career.
Current team captain Kostas Papanikolaou played for NBA teams, too, with the Houston Rockets and Denver Nuggets.
Former Sacramento Kings player Georgios Papagiannis, Fenerbahce point guard Nick Calathes, and Olympiakos guard Kostas Sloukas are three more notable names of Greece.
- Croatia
In EuroBasket history, Croatia have won bronze medals in 1993 in Germany and 1995 in Greece.
The men's national basketball team of the country reached their peak in the 1992 Barcelona Summer Olympics, where they lost to the US' famed "Dream Team" in the final, bagging the silver medal.
The Chequered Ones also have a bronze medal from the 1994 FIBA World Cup Canada.
Damir Mulaomerovic coaches the team, which includes Los Angeles Clippers center Ivica Zubac, Phoenix Suns forward Dario Saric, Utah Jazz forward Bojan Bogdanovic, Real Madrid forward Mario Hezonja, and former Anadolu Efes player Krunoslav Simon on their roster.
- Ukraine
Guided by head coach Ainars Bagatskis, Ukraine will be looking to win their maiden medal at the EuroBasket 2022.
Their best rank in the tournament history was 6th in 2013's tournament, held in Slovenia.
Sacramento Kings center Alex Len, an NBA player since 2013, is the most remarkable player on the team.
Sviatoslav Mykhailiuk is another NBA player who played for the Los Angeles Lakers, Detroit Pistons, Oklahoma City Thunder, and Toronto Raptors throughout his career.
- Great Britain
Coach Nate Reinking's Great Britain men's national basketball team will also be on the lookout for their first international title.
Their top ranking has been 13th in EuroBasket history.
Former guard of Turkish team Tofas Tarik Phillip and Turkish team Darussafaka center Gabriel Olaseni are among the notable players on the British roster.
- Estonia
Estonia, coached by Jukka Toijala, ranked fifth twice in EuroBasket history, in 1937 and 1939, though their performance has waned in recent years.
After ranking sixth in 1993, they failed eight times to qualify for the European Basketball Championship.
Veteran forward Siim-Sander Vene, who was named Estonian Player of the Year thrice, and Kalev/Cramo forward Kristjan Kitsing, who won five Estonian league titles, are two of the team's most noteworthy players.
- Group C Fixtures:
September 2:
Ukraine- Great Britain
Croatia-Greece
Italy-Estonia
September 3:
Great Britain-Croatia
Estonia-Ukraine
Greece-Italy
September 5:
Croatia-Estonia
Great Britain-Greece
Ukraine-Italy
September 6:
Estonia-Great Britain
Greece-Ukraine
Italy-Croatia
September 8:
Croatia-Ukraine
Estonia-Greece
Great Britain-Italy