The calendar of the Latvian men’s basketball national team at the end of June and the beginning of July includes interesting test games and important battles in the qualifying tournament of the 2023 World Cup. On June 22, the Latvian national team will meet with the Lithuanian national team in the test match at the Arena Riga, and on June 30, the Latvia-Serbia World Cup qualifying tournament is scheduled to take place.
On the portal basket.lv, ticket sales for games with Europeans begin top level teams. Until May 4 (inclusive) tickets can be purchased at holiday prices.
The Latvian national team is one of the five European teams that have already secured the right to play in the second stage of the World Cup qualifying tournament. However, the summer games will play a very important role in the fight for the final tournament ticket. First, the second stage will come along everything gaming results, so each victory (also over the group’s last Slovakian team) is approaching the goal. Secondly, it is important to take the 1st place in the group, thus providing a more favorable schedule for the second round of the qualifying tournament.
Baltic derby Latvia – Lithuania
Wednesday, June 22, 2022, at 18:30 “Arena Riga”
The national teams of Latvian and Lithuanian men’s basketball have already secured the right to play in the second stage of the 2023 World Cup qualifying tournament.
The mutual play in the pre-Christmas mood will help both teams to prepare for the official battles, to replenish their points and improve their chances of qualifying for the final.
In the FIBA men’s ranking table, Latvia ranks 26th and Lithuania 8th.
The national teams of Latvia and Lithuania have played 24 games since 1992, including four times in the finals of the European Championships. Our opponents (8-16) prevailed, however, the Latvian team won many unforgettable victories. One of the brightest – on September 3, 2001 at the European Championships in Ankara (94:76). Latvia has also had an advantage in two recent test matches: on August 19, 2017, Arena Riga was won by 87:77, and on September 9, 2018 in Vilnius – by 97:80.
PK’2023 qualifying game: Latvia – Serbia
Thursday, June 30, 2022, at 7:30 pm “Arena Riga”
The Latvian and Serbian men’s basketball teams will compete for 1st place in Group A of the 2023 World Cup Qualifiers.
Both teams have already secured the right to play in the second round of qualifying, but winning will add to their points and improve their chances of qualifying for the final.
In November in Belgrade, the Latvian team gave up 100: 101 at the very end of the game, experiencing the only loss in the tournament. This was followed by a victory over the Slovak national team (82:74) and two successes with Belgium (66:65 and 68:63). Serbia lost to Belgium (69:73) and defeated Slovakia twice (75:63 and 71:63).
In the FIBA men’s ranking table, Latvia ranks 26th and Serbia 6th.
The Serbian national team is one of the two national units in Europe that Latvians have not yet managed to win. Three losses in the European Championships, one in the World Cup qualifiers, five in the test matches.
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The head coach of the Latvian men’s national unit Luka Banks:
“Tuvojas basketbola sezonas interesantākā un aizraujošākā daļa, un esmu ļoti priecīgs par veidu, kā mūsu basketbolisti cīnās un sasniedz panākumus visos līmeņos. Latvijas komandai priekšā svarīga un izaicinoša vasara. Ļoti vēlamies pierādīt savu konkurētspēju, stājoties pretī Eiropas augstākā līmeņa komandām, uz kuru fona novērtēsim mūsu vērtību un stiprās puses. Esmu pārliecināts, ka visa Latvijas basketbola sabiedrība ar nepacietību gaida mūsu cīņas ar Lietuvas un Serbijas komandām īpašajā gaisotnē, kāda iespējams piedzīvot tikai līdzjutēju pārpildītā “Arēnā Rīga”. Piedzīvosim to kopā ar mūsu pūlēm un jūsu atbalstu!”
The expanded list of candidates for the Latvian national team will be named at the end of May, when most of the season in the clubs will end.
In Group A of the 2023 World Cup qualifiers, Latvia and Serbia have 3 wins after four rounds, Belgium 2 and Slovakia. There are currently 3 victories for Greece (4 games), Turkey 1 (4), Britain 1 (2) and Belarus 1 (2). At the end of February, FIBA canceled the Belarusian national team match with the British national team, as well as suspended the participation of Russian and Belarusian teams in the FIBA competition. A decision on the status and future participation of these teams is scheduled for May.
In preparation for the final matches of the first stage with the national teams from Serbia (June 30 in Riga) and Slovakia (July 3 in Levice), the Latvian team will play two test matches with the Lithuanian team: on Wednesday, June 22, at Arena Riga and on June 26 in Siauliai.
The Lithuanian national team has started the World Cup qualifying tournament with four victories and has already secured the right to play in the second round.
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