Jump to content
Phantis Forums

plato-ny

Members
  • Posts

    1,481
  • Joined

  • Last visited

Everything posted by plato-ny

  1. Basketball Ticket Sale Starts on 23 March (GENEVA/TOKYO) - Fans around the world will be able to buy tickets for the FIBA World Championship 2006 in Japan via the internet as of 23rd March 2006. The Local Organising Committee announced today the policy for the ticket sales of the event. International Sales A ticket contingent will be available for sale to fans outside of Japan during the period from 23rd March until 30th April 2006 on www.fiba2006.com/ticket/ticket_e.html. . Information about the second wave of international sales will be announced at a later stage. 4 Tickets Maximum Every single customer will be able to buy a maximum of 4 tickets per session. For security reasons, every customer will be asked to provide his passport number. Payment can only be made with credit card (VISA or MasterCard). Ticket Prices For the first round, a ticket is valid for the complete session of all 3 games per day and the prices range from 4,000 to 9,000 Yen per ticket. For the final round in Saitama a ticket is valid for 2 games and the prices range from 5.000 to 20.000 Yen per ticket. For reference: the exchange rate today was 119Yen/US$. All further details including detailed arena maps with ticket type can be found on www.fiba2006.com and www.fiba.com Ticket Delivery After the credit card of the customer has been charged, he will receive a confirmation by email with a reservation number. All tickets will be delivered upon presentation of the reservation number and the passport at the ticket counter of each arena. More Information? For inquiries about ticket sales, please contact: Ticketing Department of the FIBA World Championship 2006 Organising Committee Fax: +81-3-64184551 / E-mail: [email protected] FIBA World Championship - One World - One Title: Event Outline The FIBA World Championship is played every 4 years and determines the best basketball nation of the world. The first World Championship was played in 1950 in Argentina. The 2006 edition will be played in Japan from 19th August until 3rd September in five different cities. FIBA has increased the number of teams playing at the FIBA World Championship from 16 to 24 teams because of the increased level of basketball around the world and the increasing number of competitive teams at the highest level. The teams will play against each other in the preliminary phase in four groups of 6 teams. The 4 top teams from each group will then qualify directly for the Eighth-Finals, Quarter-Finals, Semi-Finals and Finals. All the games from the Eighth-Finals to the Finals will be played on a one-game elimination basis in the city of Saitama. The 2006 FIBA World Champion will qualify automatically for the 2008 Olympic Basketball Tournament for Men in Beijing.
  2. GRE - Katsikaris living up to big expectations SAINT PETERSBURG (SuperLeague) - Greek basketball has a rich tradition of success in every level and it is also known for... exporting in other countries excellent players, like it is happening nowadays with Kakiouzis, Giannoulis and Diamantopoulos in Spain, Zisis and Vetoulas in Italy, Papaloukas, Papadopoulos and Fotsis in Russia. The only thing that was missing was a coach that could do great things outside Greece. That was until Fotis Katsikaris made the decision to accept last July the offer of Dynamo Saint Petersburg. The 38year old Greek coach has made an outstanding job so far and Dynamo is now considered one of the upcoming forces in European basketball! In Russian Superleague they have the 4th best record with 12-3 and they have beaten traditional forces such as CSKA Moscow, Unics Kazan and Ural Great. "This is a young team, with very talented players, that work very hard and they will become better from day to day", was the comment of Katsikaris who was the first Greek coach that tested his skills in a European club like Dynamo. "This is a challenge from me, but I also want to show that Greek coaches are equably capable with the other European coaches. Of course I am very lucky, cause I am in a great organization like Dynamo and the conditions of work are ideal". Yesterday Dynamo won in Constantinople FenerBahce and managed to qualify in the quarterfinals of Eurocup. They will now face Marousi of Greek basketball legend Panagiotis Giannakis! The later was a teammate of Katsikaris in the early 80's in Ionikos Nikaias and coach of Dynamo has great respect for him. "Giannakis was an amazing player and I was lucky to be his teammate in my first footsteps as a basketball player. He is now an outstanding coach and we have already met numerous times in Greek league when I was coaching AEK. "I am séure that this series will be very exciting and I am very happy that once again we will meet in the court". This will be another challenge for Katsikaris who so far has shown to the world of basketball that he can live up to the big expectations people have from him...
  3. Baghdatis bandwagon rolls on after loss MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) - Marcos Baghdatis and his coach can keep their day jobs. Baghdatis, the surprise of the Australian Open, lost his championship match Sunday to top-seeded Roger Federer. He threaten early before dropping a 5-7, 7-5, 6-0, 6-2 decision to the Swiss star. "I told (my coach) if I win the Australian Open, I'll stop tennis," Baghdatis said, smiling. "He told me if I win it, he'll stop working." The Cypriot with the boisterous Greek following spent two weeks in the tennis spotlight and will move up in the rankings from 54th to the 20s. He more than tripled his career prize money during his stay in Melbourne Park. Baghdatis made the audacious pat with coach Guillaume Payre after he lost a first-round match three weeks ago at Auckland, New Zealand. But his next stop will be Cyprus for a two-week break with his family, then back on the ATP trail on Feb. 13 in Marseille, France. When he returns, Baghdatis can take inspiration from his coach's words after the match. "I'm 20 years old, and he told me I have a lot in front of me to do and it's not finished," he said. "There are a lot of players like me who want it so much and have the heart, have the fire in them to do what I did this week." Back in Cyprus, the defeat did not stop people from pouring into the main square of Paramytha village - the home of Baghdatis' parents - under the deafening sound of fireworks, gunfire, church bells and music. Celebrations also spread to the Aghios Nikolaos roundabout - the traditional venue for all sporting celebrations in Limassol - where fans draped in Greek and Cypriot flags chanted his name. "The winner today was Cyprus, our country," said Baghdatis' father, Christos. Baghdatis became the first Cypriot to play in a Grand Slam final and officials in Limassol are preparing a massive welcome for him. The port city's council has announced it will name a street after him and establish a Marcos Baghdatis prize for athletes who excel. "We don't care if he lost, he is still a winner for us," youngster Kyriakos Theodosiou said. Baghdatis had the edge to start the match, winning the first set and going up a break in the second. At 5-5 in the second, he lost the next 11 games and never recovered. "He had been returning so well," Federer said. "Credit to him. He really didn't allow me to play my game. But he may have got a little bit tired, maybe disappointed that he didn't win the second when he could have. I got a bit more aggressive and it paid off." Baghdatis said he started thinking too much. "I wanted to continue being aggressive ... not to give Federer time to play his game," he said. "Maybe I was a bit scared of him. Maybe I didn't really believe it. Things were happening so fast." His Australian run captured the attention of thousands of Greek fans. The president called him after his fourth-round win, and a local soccer team sent him a signed jersey. His brother, Petros, arrived for Sunday's final with a song on a CD written by Cypriot schoolchildren. In Melbourne, he couldn't walk the streets without being mobbed for autographs. He went from obscurity to a recognizable, smiling face who kept knocking off opponents. He didn't plan any celebration with family and friends on Sunday night. "I just lost the match, I just lost the final," he said. "I would like to stay in the hotel and play some cards and just relax a bit. "I'm not really in the mood to go have fun. It will take me one or two days to come back and smile again."
  4. Baghdatis had a great run and should feel proud after losing in the final to the best tennis player in the world. He could become the biggest Greek tennis star since Pete Sampras. Only time will tell... Federer beats Baghdatis at Australian Open final MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) -- Roger Federer won his seventh Grand Slam title Sunday, overcoming an early challenge from unseeded Marcos Baghdatis to win the Australian Open 5-7, 7-5, 6-0, 6-2. Federer's experience under pressure showed as the top-ranked stepped up his game in the second set and won 11 straight. The 24-year-old Federer won the Wimbledon and U.S. Open titles last year. He will try to win his fourth straight major later this year on clay at the French Open -- the only Grand Slam he has never won. The Swiss broke down in tears after receiving the champion's trophy from Rod Laver, the last man to sweep all four Grand Slams in the same year, in 1969. "I guess it's all coming out now," Federer said. "I've had some hard speeches, but this one is a little rough right now." Federer then thanked Laver, his voice breaking one last time, and embraced the 67-year-old Australian. "I was so happy," Federer said later. "Then I had to go up on stage and speak. This is really too much for me sometimes. It's just a dream come true every time I win a Grand Slam." Baghdatis, a Greek Cypriot who had Melbourne's large Greek population behind after him knocking out four seeded players, had never gotten past the fourth round at a Grand Slam event before this year. "It's a dream come true," Baghdatis said after having to playfully shush his cheering fans. "It's just amazing. I love everybody watching in Cyprus. Kisses." The atmosphere at Rod Laver Arena was electric as the 54th-ranked Baghdatis tried to beat the most dominant man on the ATP Tour for the first time in four attempts. For a while, at least, it looked possible. Baghdatis was solid early, shaking off errors with stinging baseline winners. And it was normally implacable Federer who blinked first. Serving at 5-5 in the first set, the Swiss fended off two break points before committing back-to-back forehand errors -- the latter after he halted his service motion after a fan shouted, "Settle, Roger, settle!" Flashing his infectious smile and using his racket to bounce the ball once between his legs before each serve -- a move that he picked up from watching Federer -- Baghdatis held easily to finish off the set as the crowd roared. He broke Federer again to start the second set and had two break opportunities to go up 3-0 before Federer fought back to level at 3-3. Baghdatis, a former junior world champion, had three game points at 5-6 to force a tiebreaker, but Federer rallied to break on a forehand from Baghdatis that was ruled long. The Cypriot, who questions calls infrequently, did so again. But TV replays showed the ruling was correct. Federer, who also won the Australian Open in 2004, ran off 27 of the 37 points in the third set to take control. Baghdatis had played two consecutive five-setters and three overall in the tournament, and the wear and tear started to show. He suffered a cramp in his left calf in the second game of the fourth set, and the brilliant winners came less often as the errors piled up. Federer won his 11th consecutive game to go up 3-0. Getting treatment on his calf at every changeover, Baghdatis tried to rally one last time and had a break point with Federer serving at 4-2 that would have gotten him back on serve, but Federer held, then broke for the eighth time. A forehand across court set up match point, and Baghdatis netted a backhand to finish it. Federer is drawing comparisons to Pete Sampras, who won 14 Grand Slams in his career and was the last man to win three consecutive majors (Wimbledon and the U.S. Open in 1993, and the Australian Open in '94). Their birthdays are four days apart, and they won their seventh Grand Slams at the same age. "It's quite scary if I compare it," Federer said. "I'm on the same road but I've got to maintain it. It would be great to challenge it, but it's not my first priority." The stadium was filled with plenty of red-and-white Swiss flags, but the dominant colors in the crowd were Greece's blue and white. Signs of "Go Marcos, You Rule" were mixed with "We Luv You Federer."
  5. Here are celebratory pics from the Hellas fan Club of Australia from previous matches:
  6. Sorry Baghdatis, Federer has no empathy for a rookie By JOHN PYE, AP Sports Writer January 28, 2006 MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) -- Roger Federer clearly didn't want to empathize with opponent Marcos Baghdatis ahead of Sunday's Australian Open final. The top-ranked Federer was to be going for his seventh Grand Slam title on Sunday, facing a player who began the tournament ranked 54th in the world and was a 500-to-1 shot to win the season's first major. Asked after his emphatic semifinal win over Nicolas Kiefer if he could remember being nervous before his first major final, Federer said the circumstances were entirely different. He'd spent a lot of time, he said, waiting for his chance -- spending a period ranked just outside the top 100 and another just outside the top 10. Baghdatis, on the other hand, has been an overnight sensation. "I went into my first Grand Slam final being sort of a favorite against (Mark) Philippoussis, I thought," Federer said. "So I guess that is already different circumstances -- he's not going to be the favorite." Not only won't Baghdatis be the favorite, but he's a big underdog against a player who has won all six Grand Slam singles finals he's contested -- starting with a straight-sets victory over Philippoussis at Wimbledon in 2003. Baghdatis, a 20-year-old Cypriot who was junior world champion and Australian Open junior champion in 2003, has lost all three of his previous matches against Federer. Though he reached the final by defeating three seeded players -- No. 2 Andy Roddick, No. 7 Ivan Ljubicic and No. 4 David Nalbandian -- history isn't on Baghdatis' side. In six previous Grand Slam men's finals involving the top-seeded player and an unseeded player, the top-seeded guy has won every time. Federer lost only four matches last year. Until his defeat by Nalbandian at the season-ending Masters Cup in Shanghai, where he was hobbled by an ankle injury, the Swiss star hadn't lost in 24 straight finals. He won Wimbledon and the U.S. Open last season, and went into the Australian Open final with a 51-match winning streak on hard courts -- though he did have to survive a couple of tough five-set matches over Tommy Haas and fifth-seeded Nikolay Davydenko to reach the Australian Open semifinals. Federer is on an 11-match winning streak, including a straight-sets win over Baghdatis at Doha earlier this month. "In two weeks, he's improved incredibly," Federer said of Baghdatis. "We're all surprised he got this far ... but he beat quality players and totally deserves to be in the final. "He's relaxed enough not to get too worried about all this stuff, it seems. I have to expect him to play a good match." Baghdatis has been embraced by fans in Melbourne, a southern Australian city with a large Greek population. But Federer also is a popular figure in Australia, in part because his coach, Tony Roche, is an Aussie. A win by Federer on Sunday would put him halfway to Pete Sampras' record 14 Grand Slam singles titles, but he said such marks are secondary. "(I) think about the next match, not what I still have to achieve to be a legend or a great," he said. "I have a long way to go -- I know that."
  7. Could he become a bigger Greek tennis star than Pete Sampras? Brilliant Baghdatis Books Date With Destiny Cypriot sensation Marcos Baghdatis has stormed into the men's final of Australian Open 2006 with an epic, come-from-behind semi-final win over highly-ranked Argentine David Nalbandian in the Twilight Session on Day 11 at Melbourne Park. Urged on by his highly-vocal cheer squad, the world No.54's meteoric climb through the tournament appeared certain to come to an end at two sets down, but Baghdatis was able to summon a Herculean effort to come back and take the match 3-6 5-7 6-3 6-4 6-4. After winning the Australian Open junior boy's crown in 2003, this will be the 20-year-old's first Grand-Slam final appearance with his previous best result a fourth-round berth at last year's Centenary Open. It was a night of high drama until the very end, with play suspended by a torrential downpour with the score at 5-4 and 15-15 as Baghdatis attempted to serve out the match. Having fought so hard for the opportunity, you could only sympathise with Baghdatis as he raised his arms to the heavens in disbelief as he trudged off Centre Court to await the closing of the Rod Laver Arena roof. With the court dry and the roof closed, play resumed after a 30-minute pause and the Cypriot held his nerve - serving an ace for the win on his second match point. "It's like a dream, I have to wake up I think because it's unbelievable - I don't know what to say - it's just amazing," Baghdatis said after the gallant victory. "It's a dream (of mine) to play here and win this tournament - I believe it, my coach believes it, the guys I work with believe it, my parents believe it - I work for that and I believe in it. "I'm very proud of myself and very proud of what we've been working on through the years. It's been an amazing career for me, it's like a story and I'm just very proud." He was at a loss to explain his Houdini-like escape from the jaws of defeat. "To tell you the truth I don't really know," Baghdatis said with a laugh. "I'm playing amazing tennis, I just stopped thinking and just played my tennis, tried to be very aggressive and everything was going in. I'm just in my own world right now I think." No.4 seed Nalbandian joins fellow seeds Andy Roddick (2) and Ivan Ljubicic (7) as one of the highly-ranked casualties of Baghdatis' stirring run to the final, with the success story of the tournament set to meet either world No.1 Roger Federer or Nicolas Kiefer in the final. The classy Argentine had all the answers in the first set-and-a-half, while Baghdatis seemed to have finally run out of ideas after thrilling the crowd with his inventive play throughout his Open run. The tension of the occasion was evident early in the match with both players losing their serves soon after the start, but that was to be Baghdatis' only break opportunity for the set, while Nalbandian had nine and converted two of them to take the set comfortably. The Cypriot was quickly down two service breaks in the second set, but managed to break Nalbandian as he served for the set at 5-2 and held his own serve in the next game with relative ease. The comeback was in top gear when he broke the Argentine again to be back on serve at 5-5 with the pumped-up Baghdatis raising his fist to the ecstatic crowd, but their elation didn't last long as he lost his serve in the very next game. Like many before him, Baghdatis appeared spooked by the onset of the traditional fireworks display let off in a nearby park to commemorate Australia Day, losing his serve and the set after Nalbandian held. The third set proceeded on serve until Baghdatis broke the pattern, pulling out some stunning forehand winners to go up a break at 4-2. He held his nerve and his serve this time and went on to serve out the set with an ace two games later. The Cypriot's serve was his Achilles heel in the first two sets, but it became his most formidable weapon in the third and fourth with his winning percentage on first serve a stunning 93 per cent in the third and 88 per cent in the fourth. Baghdatis sent the match into five sets by converting his only break point opportunity in the fourth set and successfully holding off a determined challenge from Nalbandian. The differing body language of the players was notable as they came on court for the decisive set with Baghdatis skipping to his end, while Nalbandian trudged wearily to his, wiping sweat off his face with a towel as he went. It made little difference early, however, as the Argentine struck first, breaking to go ahead 2-0 before, once again, being broken right back. The two broke each other once again as the set progressed, but Baghdatis made his move in the ninth game, breaking the No.4 seed to love, before going on to eventually serve out the match.
  8. FIBA Europe award A "great honour" for Zisis ATHENS (FIBA Europe Player of the Week) - Forgive Nikos Zisis if he doesn't remember Greece's triumph at the EuroBasket in 1987. He was only four years old when the great Panagiotis Yannakis inspired the Greeks to the gold medal in Athens - the nation's first European title. But while he may not recall too much about the historic event itself, it was to prove a hugely influential moment in the young Zisis' life. "People in Greece were going mad about the sport after the national team's success," said Zisis to PA Sport. "I don't remember, but my father told me that it was the first time that I asked him to take me out on a basketball court. "Apparently, I couldn't lift the ball, not even bounce it, but it was like a virus in my body, after the first time, I couldn't let it go." Zisis cannot hide his passion for the game. "I love it," he said. "I like to experience the atmosphere of the locker room before a big game, the satisfaction that comes with winning and the feeling that you get after a defeat which only makes you more determined to be a winner. "This is all part of the experience, and I couldn't imagine my life without basketball." The 1.96m shooting guard made sure everyone would remember his performance in last year's EuroBasket, which saw him lead Greece in scoring as they captured the gold medal - their first since the success in 1987 and only second in history. Coincidentally, coaching Zisis during that tournament was Yannakis himself. "I will certainly never forget it and neither will my family or friends," he said. "To have won the gold medal is an unbelievable experience and I couldn't have asked for more. "It has been the best experience of my career so far." And to be named FIBA Europe Young Player of the Year and beat the likes of Spain's Fran Vazquez, Israel's Lior Eliyahu and French international Mickael Gelabale, is the cherry on the cake. "It's a great honour for me and for Greek basketball," "I know the players who were competing for this award and they are young, have a lot of potential and great skills, so it makes me prouder." Zisis has plenty of reasons to get carried away with his successes as a player. The Thessaloniki-born player has won silver at the 1999 Under-16 European Championships, bronze at the 2000 Under-18 tournament and gold at the 2002 Under-20 edition, where he was also tournament MVP. However, he keeps his feet firmly on the ground. "I'm young," he said. "And the thing about being young is that you are never satisfied with what you do and you still don't know where your limits are. "What I know is that I can always do better, that I am at an age where I can improve and must improve." Zisis joined Italian giants Benetton Treviso in September after five years playing with AEK Athens and so far, has enjoyed his move. "I like Treviso," he said. "It's very quiet, a place where you can concentrate. Benetton are a very organised club and it gives me the right atmosphere to continue to work and improve on my game." And despite a minor setback, with Zisis having broken a bone in his wrist in December, he still finds other ways to improve his play. "I like to watch basketball," he said. "To see how the game develops and to see new players in action. Of course, I could have done without the injury but I will be back playing again in three weeks. "All I ask for in 2006 is to be healthy and fit, to help my club achieve goals and to be able to play for the national team." Greece are likely to need a fully-fit and in-form Zisis at the FIBA World Championship in Japan later this year if they are to add that title to their European crown, and Zisis is looking forward to the challenge. "It will be a very nice experience for me," he said. "I will be 23 in Japan and by then I will have played in all the major tournaments, having played at the Olympics in Athens and at the EuroBasket in Belgrade."
  9. Greeks have nothing to fear - Vasilakopoulo TOKYO (FIBA World Championship 2006) - Greece should have no fear despite being handed a tough draw for the 2006 FIBA World Championship. That's the opinion of FIBA Europe's Greek president Giorgos Vasilakopoulos, who feels the European champions are well equipped to negotiate their way out of a difficult-looking group that includes Lithuania, Turkey, Australia, Brazil and Qatar. Greece, ranked eighth in FIBA's world rankings, claimed their second EuroBasket title last September after coming out on top in Serbia & Montenegro and Vasilakopoulos believes it is their opponents who need to be wary of them. Vasilakopoulos said: "Our experience has shown that good or bad draws do not exist. Our national team is the champion of Europe and they will go to the World Championship to represent our continent. "This title and only this title, dictates the prestige and the competitiveness of a team. Don't forget that in the draw for EuroBasket in Serbia & Montenegro, there were also mixed impressions and expectations about the draw and we still managed to win the trophy." Greece open their Group C campaign against Qatar on August 19 in Hammamatsu. Zisis confident of more glory for Greece TREVISO (FIBA World Championship 2006) - Greece star Nikos Zisis is confident European champions Greece will not feel the pressure of expectation in Japan later this year. Panagiotis Yannakis' side have been drawn in Group C alongside Lithuania, Brazil, Turkey and Australia in the first stage of the 2006 FIBA World Championship. Greece stunned all at last year's EuroBasket by beating Germany in the gold-medal game in Belgrade and know their rivals will keep a close eye on them in Japan. "Considering that we are European champions, everyone will be watching us," Zisis told PA Sport. "Our rivals will be more motivated and eager to beat us and that is why we must remain together as a team." Zisis, who joined Italian giants Benetton Treviso in September, is hoping his national team will avoid the same fate as that of their football team. "We won the European Championships in football but failed to qualify for the World Cup," he said. "We certainly don't want to imitate them. It was a big disappointment for the country and our aim is to go far in Japan." Zisis, who was Greece's leading scorer at last year's EuroBasket, knows his team will face a tough challenge right from the start. "We have the toughest group," he said. "Lithuania are a very good team and if they have their NBA players Sarunas Jasikevicius, Arvydas Macijauskas and Darius Songaila, they are one of the contenders for the title. "Lithuania have a great school of basketball," added Zisis, who can't forget the 98-76 defeat against Lithuania in the preliminary round of the Athens Olympics two years ago. "They killed us at home in front of 16,000 fans. "Brazil have a good side," Zisis continued. "Turkey are always tough opponents, they have great players." But what the Greece team possesses is team spirit and a coach that understands them. "We know we don't have big talented players like Lithuania or Turkey," said Zisis. "We are a team that can do great things provided we stick together and we are humble. "Yannakis knows the psychology of his players. He always tries to convince us that we are all equal, that we should leave our egos behind for the sake of the team. "World champions Serbia & Montenegro had six NBA players but they couldn't be a solid team at the EuroBasket in front of their crowd while Turkey, who we will face, are always a difficult team to beat but they lack team spirit. "The average age of our team is very low - 24 to 25 - and yet we have experienced players, who play in top European leagues and who know how to deal with pressure." Some of those players, including Zisis, will play for the first time in a World Championship in Japan. "It will be a very nice thing for me," said Zisis. "It is the biggest basketball competition and just to be a part of it will be great."
  10. Eurobasket 2005 results GROUP STANDINGS GROUP A W/L Pts RUS 2 - 1 5 GER 2 - 1 5 ITA 2 - 1 5 UKR 0 - 3 3 GROUP B W/L Pts LTU 3 - 0 6 CRO 2 - 1 5 TUR 1 - 2 4 BUL 0 - 3 3 GROUP C W/L Pts SLO 3 - 0 6 GRE 2 - 1 5 FRA 1 - 2 4 BIH 0 - 3 3 GROUP D W/L Pts ESP 2 - 1 5 SCG 2 - 1 5 ISR 2 - 1 5 LAT 0 - 3 3 PRELIMINARY ROUND C/1 Slovenia 74 - 65 Bosnia & Herzeg. D/1 Latvia 65 - 74 Israel A/2 Germany 82 - 84 Italy B/1 Croatia 88 - 84 Bulgaria C/2 France 50 - 64 Greece D/2 Serbia & Montenegro 70 - 89 Spain A/1 Russia 86 - 74 Ukraine B/2 Turkey 75 - 87 Lithuania C/4 Bosnia & Herzeg. 62 - 79 France D/3 Spain 114 - 109 Latvia A/3 Italy 61 - 87 Russia B/3 Lithuania 85 - 67 Croatia C/3 Greece 56 - 68 Slovenia D/4 Israel 77 - 93 Serbia & Montenegro A/4 Ukraine 58 - 84 Germany B/4 Bulgaria 89 - 94 Turkey C/5 Slovenia 68 - 58 France D/6 Spain 77 - 85 Israel A/6 Italy 99 - 62 Ukraine B/6 Lithuania 92 - 79 Bulgaria C/6 Greece 67 - 50 Bosnia & Herzeg. D/5 Latvia 67 - 82 Serbia & Montenegro A/5 Russia 50 - 51 Germany B/5 Croatia 80 - 67 Turkey ELIMINATION GAMES 25/A Germany 66 - 57 Turkey 26/A Croatia 74 - 66 Italy 27/A Greece 67 - 61 Israel 28/A Serbia & Montenegro 71 - 74 France QUARTER-FINALS 29/A Russia 61 - 66 Greece 30/A Lithuania 47 - 63 France 32/A Slovenia 62 - 76 Germany 33/A Spain 101 - 85 Croatia CLASSIFICATION 5-8 31/A Russia 78 - 89 Lithuania 34/A Slovenia 89 - 80 Croatia SEMI-FINALS 35/A Greece 67 - 66 France 36/A Germany 74 - 73 Spain Final Greece 78 62 Germany Placings 3rd and 4th France 98 68 Spain Placings 5th and 6th Lithuania 79 70 Slovenia Placings 7th and 8th Russia 74 92 Croatia 9 Israel 10 Italy 11 Serbia & Montenegro 12 Turkey 13 Bosnia & Herzegovina 14 Bulgaria 15 Latvia 16 Ukraine
  11. I aqdded the Athens 2004 results as a "reference" Basketball - Men's Standings Group A Wins Losses Spain 6 1 Argentina 6 2 Italy 5 3 Serbia and Montenegro 2 4 China 2 5 New Zealand 1 5 Group B Wins Losses Lithuania 6 2 United States of America 5 3 Greece 4 3 Puerto Rico 3 4 Australia 2 4 Angola 0 6 Basketball - Men's Games Sunday, August 15 Final Angola 73 Lithuania 78 Sunday, August 15 Final Italy 71 New Zealand 69 Sunday, August 15 Final China 58 Spain 83 Sunday, August 15 Final Argentina 83 Serbia & Montenegro 82 Sunday, August 15 Final Puerto Rico 92 USA 73 Sunday, August 15 Final Greece 76 Australia 54 Tuesday, August 17 Final China 69 New Zealand 62 Tuesday, August 17 Final Angola 59 Australia 83 Tuesday, August 17 Final Lithuania 98 Puerto Rico 90 Tuesday, August 17 Final Serbia & Montenegro 74 Italy 72 Tuesday, August 17 Final Spain 87 Argentina 76 Tuesday, August 17 Final USA 77 Greece 71 Thursday, August 19 Final Serbia & Montenegro 87 New Zealand 90 Thursday, August 19 Final Italy 63 Spain 71 Thursday, August 19 Final USA 89 Australia 79 Thursday, August 19 Final Puerto Rico 83 Angola 80 Thursday, August 19 Final Argentina 82 China 57 Thursday, August 19 Final Greece 76 Lithuania 98 Saturday, August 21 Final Australia 82 Puerto Rico 87 Saturday, August 21 Final Spain 76 Serbia & Montenegro 68 Saturday, August 21 Final New Zealand 94 Argentina 98 Saturday, August 21 Final China 52 Italy 89 Saturday, August 21 Final Lithuania 94 USA 90 Saturday, August 21 Final Angola 56 Greece 88 Monday, August 23 Final Spain 88 New Zealand 84 Monday, August 23 Final Lithuania 100 Australia 85 Monday, August 23 Final USA 89 Angola 53 Monday, August 23 Final Serbia & Montenegro 66 China 67 Monday, August 23 Final Italy 76 Argentina 75 Monday, August 23 Final Greece 78 Puerto Rico 58 Tuesday, August 24 - 11TH PLACE GAME Final Angola 62 Serbia & Montenegro 85 Tuesday, August 24 - 9TH PLACE GAME Final Australia 98 New Zealand 80 Thursday, August 26 - QUARTERFINALS Final USA 102 Spain 94 Thursday, August 26 - QUARTERFINALS Final China 75 Lithuania 95 Thursday, August 26 - QUARTERFINALS Final Puerto Rico 70 Italy 83 Thursday, August 26 - QUARTERFINALS ' Final Argentina 69 Greece 64 Friday, August 27 - SEMIFINALS Final Argentina 89 USA 81 Friday, August 27 - SEMIFINALS Final Italy 100 Lithuania 91 Saturday, August 28 - 7TH PLACE GAME Final Spain 92 China 76 Saturday, August 28 - 5TH PLACE GAME Final Greece 85 Puerto Rico 75 Saturday, August 28 - BRONZE MEDAL GAME Final USA 104 Lithuania 96 Saturday, August 28 - GOLD MEDAL GAME Final Argentina 84 Italy 69
  12. Here are the results: Group A Argentina Venezuela France Serbia & Montenegro Lebanon Nigeria Group B Spain Panama Germany Japan New Zealand Angola Group C Lithuania Brazil Greece Turkey Australia Qatar Group D USA Puerto Rico Slovenia Italy P.R. of China Senegal Big test for Greeks: Papaloukas ATHENS (FIBA World Championship 2006) - Greece point guard Theodoros Papaloukas admits his side have a fight on their hands to progress beyond the first round of the 2006 FIBA World Championship following Sunday's draw in Japan. Greece, the European champions, were handed a tough opening assignment at the tournament after being paired alongside the might of Lithuania, Brazil, Turkey and Australia in Group C - with one of the quintet destined to fall at the first hurdle. "These five teams are all good," Papaloukas said. "But one of them will be on the outside. One will finish their tournament early. But that's life. You have to play all the games." While the draw threw up some tough opponents for Greece, Papaloukas was happy to avoid some of the tournament's bigger sides - Team USA, Olympic champions Argentina and defending world champions Serbia & Montenegro - and admits he and his team-mates are just concentrating on making it through the group. "The first goal is the top four (in the group). Anything after that will come," added the CSKA Moscow ace, whose side will also have to meet Qatar in the opening phase. "It's better to qualify high to play 'better' opponents in the next round. But you never know how it's going to go."
  13. The draw will be live on fiba.com on Sunday. The draw is 3 pm Japanese time and 7 am CET (central european time). I'm assuming 8 am in Greece and 1 am in New York....
  14. Giannakis to receive holy honour ATHENS (FIBA World Championship) - Greece are putting their faith in a little divine intervention in the hope of landing a favourable draw for the 2006 FIBA World Championship as the countdown to this weekend's draw continues (Sunday, January 15th, not the 13th as I assumed). With the lottery for the big event in Japan later this year set to take place on Sunday, the Greeks' European Championship-winning coach Panagiotis GIANNAKIS is to be honoured by the Greek Church. The Maroussi coach, who masterminded the Greeks' second EuroBasket title in Serbia & Montenegro last September, will receive a Golden Cross dedicated to St Paul on Thursday - an honour reserved for those who "possess separate personalities from all the spectrum of human activities". The ceremony will take place on Thursday at 1pm local time at the Palace of Holy Sessions in Athens. Giannakis said: "I feel particularly moved by this honour. For me this is a great honour to be recognised by the Church for my achievements. "Faith is a motivational force in our lives and especially for Greeks the relationship with the Church is deep and fundamental." Greece are currently ranked eighth in the FIBA world rankings with the United States leading the way at the top. Serbia & Montenegro are the highest ranked European team in second place with Argentina representing South America in third spot.
  15. Next week, Friday, January 13th, will be the draw for the FIBA World Basketball Championships. Hopefully, we get a favorable draw and go far...
  16. Previous Tournaments (final-four) 2002 (Indianopolis, Indiana) Rank Team 1 Yugoslavia 2 Argentina 3 Federal Republic of Germany 4 New Zealand 1998 (Athens, Greece) Rank Team 1 Yugoslavia 2 Russia 3 United States of America 4 Greece 1994 (Canada) Rank Team 1 United States of America 2 Russia 3 Croatia 4 Greece 1990 (Argentina) Rank Team 1 Yugoslavia 2 Soviet Union 3 United States of America 4 Puerto Rico 1986 (Columbia) Rank Team 1 United States of America 2 Soviet Union 3 Yugoslavia 4 Brazil 1982 (Columbia) Rank Team 1 Soviet Union 2 United States of America 3 Yugoslavia 4 Spain 1978 (Phillipines) Rank Team 1 Yugoslavia 2 Soviet Union 3 Brazil 4 Italy 1974 (Puerto Rico) Rank Team 1 Soviet Union 2 Yugoslavia 3 United States of America 4 Cuba 1970 (Yugoslavia) Rank Team 1 Yugoslavia 2 Brazil 3 Soviet Union 4 Italy 1967 (Uruguay) Rank Team 1 Soviet Union 2 Brazil 3 Yugoslavia 4 United States of America 1963(Brazil) Rank Team 1 Brazil 2 Yugoslavia 3 Soviet Union 4 United States of America 1959 (Chile) Rank Team 1 Brazil 2 United States of America 3 Chile 4 Formosa 1954 (Brazil) Rank Team 1 United States of America 2 Brazil 3 Philippines 4 France 1950 (Argentina) Rank Team 1 Argentina 2 United States of America 3 Chile 4 Brazil
  17. Greece, our Eurobasket Champs, will play in FIBA World Basketball Championships 19 August 2006 until September 3 in Japan Following 24 teams are the participants in the 2006 World Championship. Africa: Angola, Nigeria, Senegal Asia: Lebanon, China, Qatar, Japan (host) South America: Argentina, Brasil, Venezuela Oceania: Australia, New Zealand Europe: France, Germany, Greece (Eurobasket Champ), Italy, Lithuania, Slovenia, Turkey, Serbia&Montenegro, Spain North and Mid America: Panama, Puerto Rico, USA Draw will be on January 15 in Tokyo. 4 groups of 6 teams Top 4 will advance to next round and teams then will draw in pairs till the final. Will be a good tournement. Wish our Eurobasket Champs Good Luck!!! FIBA RANKINGS OF ALL TEAMS INVOLVED IN THE TOURNAMENT Team Rank Points 1. USA 832.2 2. YUGOSLAVIA*(SERBIA AND MONTENEGRO) 708.0 3. ARGENTINA 700.0 4. LITHUANIA 460.0 5. SPAIN 439.0 6. ITALY 433.0 7. RUSSIA 362.0 8. GREECE 304.0 9. AUSTRALIA 279.0 10. FRANCE 273.0 11. PUERTO RICO 247.6 12. CANADA 231.0 13. GERMANY 227.0 14. CHINA 209.0 15. BRAZIL 203.0 16. NEW ZEALAND 178.0 17. ANGOLA 156.0 18. TURKEY 129.0 19. CROATIA 125.0 20. VENEZUELA 99.6 21. NIGERIA 80.8 22. SLOVENIA 71.0 23. KOREA 66.5 24. ISRAEL 62.0 25. JAPAN 54.2 26. LEBANON 50.1 27. DOMINICAN REPUBLIC 43.8 28. QATAR 40.2 29. ALGERIA 36.0 30. SENEGAL 35.8 31. URUGUAY 34.4 32. EGYPT 34.0 33. LATVIA 33.0 34. PANAMA 29.6 35. MEXICO 25.6
×
×
  • Create New...