FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023 European Qualifiers. The men’s National team of Belarus have started training for the games against Great Britain

The team has gathered for a training camp in Minsk in order to get ready for the upcoming face-off against the National team of Great Britain. The match will take place on February 25 at 7:30 pm UTC on the court of Minsk Sports Palace as part of the second "window" of the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023 European Qualifiers. On February 28, the team of Belarus and their head coach Rostislav Vergun will go to Newcastle.

The training camp starts today, on February 18. Its participants include Artsiom Parakhouski(Parma Basket, Russia), Ivan Aladka (Rusichi, Russia), Uladzislau Mikulski (Borisfen, Belarus), Andrei Stabrouski, Alexey Trastsinetski, Tsimafei Paraliou, Yauheni Beliankou, Vadzim Stubeda, Darol Hernandez Zinenko, Uladzislau Blizniuk, Maksim Karattsou, Kiryl Vaskautsou (all players of Tsmoki-Minsk, Belarus), Daniil Barysevich, Roman Shcherbakov, Vadzim Tratsiak, Yan Marynin (all players of Tsmoki-Minsk Reserve Belarus), Daniil Kasko (Tsmoki-Minsk Youth team, Belarus).

Kiryl Sitnik (Dynamo, Russia) will join the team tomorrow, and Maksim Salash (San Pablo Burgos, Spain) on Sunday.

The head coach is Rostislav Vergun and his assistants are Andrey Krivonos, Alexey Sukhovetsky.

he team’s opponents for the upcoming games will be the members of the National team of Great Britain. The last time the teams faced each other was in September, 2006 as part of Division B of FIBA EuroBasket 2007 Qualification. Back then Belarus beat the team of Great Britain 69:68, but lost to them with a score of 83:51 the following year.

This is how Alexander Borisov, Honored Coach of Belarus as well as head coach of the men's National team in the period from 2000 to 2007 reminisces these events:

- First of all, it is worth noting that it was the National team of England that we were facing in the first match. We may have prevailed in Sheffield, but it was incredibly close and the teams were going neck and neck up until the final moments. In the end, we only managed to secure a one-point lead. Fortune smiled upon us that day. In the home match, however, qualification of EuroBasket was at stake, which is possibly why FIBA granted the team of England the right to play under the colours of the UK. Naturally, the team of Belarus ended up competing against representatives of not just England, but also Wales and Scotland. If I am not mistaken, even a Chicago Bulls team member made an appearance. This time around our team was in for quite a rough time. The team of Great Britain was formidable indeed. This is why I wish our team luck and success. They played quite well in the previous matches. Depending on the physical and mental condition of some of our key players such as  Parakhouski and Salash I believe that we not only stand a chance of putting up a great fight but also winning.

18.02.2022