Text by Dariusz Szarmach

“After 46 years, the European Basketball Championships (EuroBasket 2009) will be taking place in Poland – We will try to surprise our fans and win a medal” says Roman Ludwiczuk, President of Polish Basketball Federation.

When it comes to basketball, the spotlight will be on Poland between 7 and 20 September 2009, as seven cities across the country host the crucial matches that form this prestigious tournament. The first round – four groups of four – will take place in Wrocław, Gdańsk, Poznań and Warsaw. The best 12 teams will then meet in two groups in Bydgoszcz and Łódź. The last three daysof the tournament – the quarter-finals, semi-finals and finals – will take place in Katowice, at the famous Spodek arena. It is at this venue that the Polish women’s basketball team took the gold medal at EuroBasket 1999. So far, the Polish men’s basketball team have won a silver medal (in 1963) as well as three bronze medals (in 1939, 1965 and 1967).

The World’s Basketball Stars in Poland

In the first part of tournament, Poland will play against Bulgaria (7 September 2009), Lithuania (8 September 2009) and Turkey (9 September), with all matches getting underway at 18.15 local time. The favourite from this group – and indeed the whole tournament – is Lithuania, Poland’s Eastern neighbour on account of their strong players, including Sarunas Jasikievicius (who currently plays for Panathinaikos Athens), Robertas Javtocas (who currently plays for Dynamo Moscow), Linas Kleiza (who currently plays for the Denver Nuggets) and Darius Songaila (who currently plays for the Washington Wizzards). These are all names that will get a nod of approval from most fans of European basketball.

The Turkish squad will however keep the Lithuanians on their toes, with players such as Hedo Turkoglu (who currently plays for Orlando Magic), Mehmet Okur (who currently plays for Utah Jazz) and Ersan Ilyasova (the rising star of Regal Barcelona). They will be joined by many other stars of European basketball, including Germany’s Dirk Nowitzki, who recently received the accolade of “Most Valuable Player” by the NBA (National Basketball Association in the USA), France’s Tony Parker, who was awarded the “Most Valuable Player” title in 2007, Pau Gasol from Spain, who has played in the World Championships in 2006, and the NBA Finals in 2008, and Andrei Kirilenko, who was named the “Most Valuable Player” at EuroBasket 2007.

New Look for Venues

As part of the preparations for EuroBasket 2009, each venue is undergoing extensive renovations – ready to welcome the teams and their fans later this year. This legacy will leave sports teams and their fans with world-class facilities for years to come. Teams in Group A (Greece, Croatia, Macedonia and Israel) will start the tournament in Poznań’s Arena, while Group B (Russia, Germany, Latvia and a team that is yet to be determined) will play their initial matches in Gdańsk’s Olivia stadium. Players from Group C (Spain, Slovenia, Serbia, Great Britain) will meet up in Warsaw, at the capital city’s Torwar stadium. Finally, Wrocław will host the initial matches for Group D (hosts Poland, Turkey, Lithuania and Bulgaria).

In Łódź, a brand new gym is being built especially for EuroBasket 2009 – it will seat approximately 11, 000 fans – a definite boost to the city’s sports facilities. Let’s not leave out Bydgoszcz, which has a new gym, the Luczniczka, which has a capacity of 5, 500 fans. The finals will take place at the iconic flying-saucer shaped Spodek arena in Katowice, which can hold over 10, 000 basketball fans.

The Polish National Team

The coach of the Polish national team, Muli Katzurin, knows exactly how to build a strong team for EuroBasket 2009. Starting out with the well-known team, Maccabi Tel Aviv in Israel, he has gone on to work with teams in the Czech Republic and Poland. His knowledge, experience and wisdom make him popular with players and fans alike.

The Polish national team is made up of experienced players as well as fresh new talent. The captain, Adam Wójcik, has played in three EuroBasket tournaments, and is one of the most popular stars of Polish basketball in recent years. After a rewarding career in the sport, EuroBasket 2009 will be the 39 year-old power-forward’s final appearance on the court. “I think that we can move on from first part of tournament in Wrocław. I hope that we can show great determination and involvement in the game. With this attitude we can make a few real surprises” he said following the draw of Eurobasket.

A Strong Team

Wójcik will not be alone in leading the Polish national team – he will be aided by two rising stars; the first is Marcin Gortat, currently playing in the NBA for the Orlando Magic in Florida. He is very good defender - he rebounds very well, his timing and long arms makes him a great block threat, he runs quickly and can dunk powerfully. The second one to watch is Maciej Lampe, who used to play in the NBA, but is now a star player for the powerful Russian team, Khimki Moscow. Debuting in European leagues at the tender age of 16, Lampe is a great all-rounder, and plays well alongside Gortat.

The rest of the team comprises of highly respected Polish players, including Michał Ignerski (who currently plays for Spain’s Cajasol Sevilla) and Szymon Szewczyk (who currently plays for Lokomotiv Rostov in Russia). Another name to watch is Filip Dylewicz, a dynamic forward who currently plays for Asseco Prokom in Sopot.

Help from Amercia

In addition to the experienced veterans of international basketball, Eurobasket 2009 is the perfect opportunity for some of the future stars of the Polish national team to show fans what they’re made of. Krzysztof Szubarga is fast and fearless and Łukasz Koszarek is calm and smart. These two are perfect combination at the point guard position. Paweł Kikowski, Iwo Kitzinger and Bartłomiej Wołoszyn can shoot from a distance.
Then there is David Logan, an American-born player, who is currently trying to obtain Polish citizenship. The best scorer in the Polish league, Logan has lived in Poland for three years, and is a clear asset to the Polish national team, especially in the position of shooting guard. “There are a lot of talented players in Poland. We are ready for the competition and we are going to impress our fans at EuroBasket 2009”, said Roman Ludwiczuk, President of the Polish Basketball Federation.

Discover Beautiful Cities

For basketball fans visiting Poland for Eurobasket 2009, the tournament is the perfect opportunity to visit seven of the most beautiful cities in the country. As well as enjoying what is promised to be the most exciting basketball in Europe this year, fans following the entire tournament will be treated to lively and vibrant cities, each with their own character - from Gdańsk, on the Baltic coast in the north, to Katowice in the south.

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