By Aris Barkas/ barkas@eurohoops.net
FIBA Europe wrap up press conference of Eurobasket 2015 confirmed the enormous financial success of the tournament. However the most interesting pieces of news had to do with the pre-Olympic tournament.
As FIBA Europe executive director Kamil Novak said: “This tournament is a historic achievement for European basketball”. FIBA Europe president Turgay Demirel sitting near the smiling Jean Pierre Siutat, president of the French basketball federation added: “This tournament has left not only financial success but also a legacy”. The model of four co-hosts is expected to be followed in the future, but now the next stop for international basketball is the Olympic games in Rio and Europe may end up after all having three more teams in the Games.
As Novak clarified: “At the end of November we will know the hosts of pre-olympic tournament and even all three tournaments can be played in Europe. There will be a draw for the pre-olympic tournaments which will include all the teams without geographical divisions and European teams may end up playing in any of the three tournaments no matter where they will be hosted”.
The only condition for a country to apply for a pre Olympic tournament host bid is to have played in the final phase of its continental tournament, so 22 countries from Europe have the right to apply. If a country which finished in the top seven of the Eurobasket gets a tournament, then the next in line in the final standings will get the right to play in the pre-Olympic tournament. In theory, if three European countries get to host a pre-Olympic tournament even the 10th placed team of Eurobasket 2015 will get the chance to qualify for the Olympics.