sport24.gr
With hopes for the best possible outcome despite the problems in the team, went to its first match from the World Basketball Championship in Turkey the Greek national team. At the start the national team will take on the team of China. As both the players and coach himself said the expectations are not small...
Sofoklis Shortsianitis is worried that he cannot help his teammates during the first two games. After the fatal friendly game of the Acropolis tournament, which Greece played against the team of Serbia, FIBA kept its word and punished Big Sofo and Antonis Fotsis for their participation in the excesses on the floor. They were both suspended from the first two games on the World Championship. Shortsianitis disagrees with the sentence, but prefers not to enter into details so as not to "find trouble" as he says himself. Before the match against the team of China the player said: "I am worried that I can not help the boys in these two games. It is awful to participate in the preparation and in all the friendly matches and finally not to be able to play. I will try however to support them from the bench with my cheering". Shortsianitis is sure that his teammates will not give up: "This team has a heart and will do its best for the country and for us all."
Sofoklis Shortsianitis and Antonis Fotsis were punished after they got into a quarrel with fists with the Serbian national team. Both of them will miss the matches with the national teams of China and Puerto Rico. With an absence from two matches was also punished Milos Teodosich who was involved in the initial phase of the "quarrels". The most severe penalty received the Serbian national team player Nenad Krstich. Krstich will lose the first three matches of his team in the World championship in Turkey.
The absence of "Big Sofo" and Fotsis will surely be felt on the field in Turkey. Positive outcome however had the problems of Yannis Burusich. The player is ready to come out on the floor, according to the doctors the trauma on his hand is nearly 100 percent healed. A small problem is the fact that the player did not participate in the workouts and is out of the rhythm of his team. He argues, however, that this should not affect him negatively on the field. And as for the punishment of Krstich who only few days ago hit him with a chair on the head... Burusich believes that it is illogical light and is a "mockery". Frustrated by the decision of FIBA is also the coach Kazlauskas himself. Before the media he said: 'We are disappointed. There is also a video that all can see and take the right decision... The one who has thrown a chair can not be punished equally with the others."