Idman.biz
The Azerbaijani women's 3x3 basketball team has less than two weeks left to participate in the FIBA Champions Cup. The tournament will be held in Bangkok from March 13-15. The winning team will be granted the right to participate in the qualifying tournament for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics.
On the eve of the Asian trip, one of the team's experienced players, Dina Ulyanova, spoke to Idman.Biz about the team's goal.
Paris Olympics participant D. Ulyanova stated that the Champions Cup gives the team an opportunity to win a license before the selection for Los Angeles 2028 starts: "It is the first start of the year for us and it is a unique chance to start the season by qualifying for the Olympic selection competition. Of course, it is quite a difficult tournament considering the composition of the World Cup participants. But all teams are on equal terms. I think that our team should be inspired by the success of last season and immediately enter the field with a sense of leadership. Everything is in our hands and most importantly, in our hearts."
It should be reminded that last year the team achieved historical success by winning a silver medal at the European Championship and taking second place in the final tournament of the World Series, as well as winning the Islamic Solidarity Games for the third time in a row. Currently, our national team intends to fight hard again to win the Olympic license.
"Our main goal right now is the 2028 Summer Olympics. Of course, every tournament we participate in will be very important. Therefore, our priority is to fight for medals and win every game," said Ulyanova.
She also noted the importance of developing the team's joint game and mutual understanding:
"I think that if we talk about a long-term success strategy, the main focus should be on mutual understanding and playing harmony. Results must be achieved through this. This year, Azerbaijan will again host three stages of the World Series. We are already used to holding such rating tournaments on our own court. This is a great opportunity to play at home again, feel the support of the stands and show young people great basketball."
It should be noted that in the group stage of the FIBA World Cup, the Azerbaijani national team will face the teams of Canada, Spain and Thailand. The two best teams in the quartet will advance to the semi-finals.
