Kosovo NT U20, after its 10 day stay at the Center for Public Safety, Education and Development, in Vushtrri, returned to Prishtina to continue with the preparatory phase for the European Championship, for this group age, to be held on July, in Hungary.
NT U20 is exercising at the fitness as well as at the “Sami Frasheri” hall, under the leadership of the selector Ilir Selmani and his assistant Ismet Ferati.
Selmani and Ferati have selected 14 out of 16 basketball players for the preparatory phase. “Our 10 days together in Vushtrri went really well. Basketball players gave their best in every exercise and we worked with a high intensity. Starting from Monday, we will have all of the players in Prishtina thanks to Kosovo Basketball Federation. Now the boys won’t have to travel all the time from their city and will stay together until we leave for Europe” stated Ferati.
Besides the exercises, Kosovo Basketball Federation also has planned to organize few friendly games for the NT U20, in order for the coaches to have a clearer vision before their trip to Hungary. “Friendly games are very welcoming for us and I believe that we will organize few of them before we leave for Europe. We are all aware that this will be the first official appearance of the NT U20 in FIBA Competitions, so we are trying our best to prepare the players physically as well as mentally”, added Ferati.
Kosovo NT will compete in the European Championship U20 Division B, Group B, with Georgia, Portugal, Montenegro and Luxembourg.
Competitions of this Division will take place from 9 ‘til 19 July 2015 in Szekesfehervar, Hungary. Kosovo’s first game will take place on July 9th, against Portugal.