Feldman before qualifying for the Paris Olympics: We are going to win

Raymond Feldman

Latvian 3×3 team coach

“We will go to Hong Kong with pleasant feelings, we are all healthy and focused on our goal. We drive a little faster to acclimatize. We ride six to have a training process and get into a certain rhythm. We had the opportunity to ride with six, and we are using it.”

He stated that the team already knows which four players will play in the qualifying tournament, but he will not reveal it yet.

“It’s like in big basketball when you announce the starting five 15 minutes before the game. The Mongolian national team announced the squad yesterday, the Netherlands a little earlier, but Egypt has not announced yet. Maybe superstition or games between teams,” added the coach.

Despite the fact that Latvia is the first champion of the Olympic Games in 3×3 basketball, Feldmanis did not want to single out the Latvians as the favorites for qualifying for the Paris Olympic Games.

“We are ninth in the world ranking. We drive with our goal, we know what we want to achieve, and do our job with confidence, not self-confidence,” highlighted the coach.

“We are athletes and anyone goes to the competition to win immediately. We are now driving to win to reach our goal faster. Step by step, psychologically the guys are also in the mood,” he added.

In the first qualifying tournament, Latvian 3×3 basketball players will meet in Group B with Asian champions Mongolia, Egypt and New Zealand, while in Group A Hong Kong, the Netherlands, Austria and Switzerland will compete. Only the best of the eight teams will get a ticket to the Paris Games.

“The Mongolian national team played with a slightly different composition in the Asia Cup, but now there are the usual players who are usually also in the stages of the World Tour. They are professional 3×3 players. New Zealanders have basketball players with a lot of 3×3 games, each having played around 250 matches. Each team has its own recipe. Egypt has not yet announced its squad, but it will be the third game and we will have already gotten to know them,” the coach described the upcoming opponents.

Compared to the Olympic Games in Tokyo, Feldmanis explained that currently there is more interest in 3×3 basketball from many countries, but Latvian players have become much more experienced.

“There is a lot more hype. For example, Austria naturalized a player. Each team, federation gets involved further to form a 3×3 team. For example, the Austrians only focus on 3×3 basketball, because they understand that it is more difficult for them in classic basketball. They get more power and finances to prepare specifically for 3×3 basketball,” explained the coach.

Raymond Feldman

Latvian 3×3 team coach

“We have become stronger because Nauri and Karl, Agni and Edgar now have a lot of experience. I really liked that they didn’t play together last season and each had a new role. They haven’t seen each other for ten months and now there’s an extra energy on the court, but Sigmar and Francis bring even more athleticism.”

If the Latvian national team fails to win in the first qualifying tournament, the next opportunity will be in the tournament that will take place from May 3 to 5 in the Japanese city of Utsunomiya, while the last chance to get an Olympic ticket will be from May 16 to 19 in the Hungarian city of Debrecen.