“We’re ready!” Israel Finishes Final Training Before EuroBasket
Coach Ariel Beit Halachmi says squad arrives in top form ahead of opening clash with Iceland
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Three days before the EuroBasket tip-off, Israel’s national basketball team held its final training session on Sunday before departing for Poland. The Blue-and-Whites will leave for Krakow early Monday morning before continuing to Katowice, where they will play their Group D games.
Israel will open its tournament on Thursday at 15:00 against Iceland. The team is also scheduled to visit Auschwitz on Tuesday as part of its trip.
“We’ve finished a long stretch; it’s been a tough month and a half,” head coach Ariel Beit Halachmi said after practice. “We’re coming as prepared as we can be. We want to represent our country in the best way possible and have a strong championship.”
On Iceland, Beit Halachmi stressed the importance of focus: “It’s a critical game, but every game in our group is tough. There are no weak teams here.”
Regarding star guard Yam Madar’s fitness, the coach said: “Physically he could play 43 minutes a game, but we need to be smart with him. He’s rested well, he’s ready, and his knee is fine. If we play together in our style, we’ll succeed.”
Israel enters EuroBasket after a mixed warm-up campaign, winning friendlies against Georgia, Greece, and Cyprus, but losing to Estonia and Montenegro.
The final roster includes: C.J. Carrington, Bar Timor, Eitan Burg, Yam Madar, Tomer Ginat, Roman Sorkin, Itay Segev, Guy Palatin, Rafi Menco, Nimrod Levi, Deni Avdija, and Yovel Zoosman.
Israel was drawn into Group D alongside France, Slovenia, Belgium, Iceland, and host Poland, with four teams advancing to the Round of 16.