Oliver Nkamhoua could have been one of the many first-timers on Susijeng’s EC team, but he had to go to the University of Tennessee. Among the Konkari players, Sasu Salin craves a hard result.
Janne Karinkanta,
Roope Visuri
PRAGUE. On Wednesday, Susigengi got to experience the European Basketball Championship arena in Prague for the first time. The team of twelve players includes eight first-timers of the prestigious championships, but one young promise who showed promise this summer had to be left out of Susijeng.
Susijeng’s big players in the guard this summer flashed Olivier Nkamhoua did not make it to the European Championships, as he had to return to the University of Tennessee, which he represented, in the United States. This was reported by STT on Sunday.
The 22-year-old Nkamhoua played in the World Cup qualifiers last week and was in the starting five in both games.
The current head of coaching of the Finnish Basketball Association and the former head coach of Susijeng by Henrik Dettmann according to Nkamhoua was given no chance.
– We were very confused when we initially found out that the school was pressuring him to hang out with the players there for a couple of weeks instead of playing against the world’s best here in Europe, Dettmann commented to Urheilu after Susijeng’s first EC training.
The basketball association has not understood the University of Tennessee’s decision.
– We have visited the place and we have been promised that he can represent Finland. There have been different views as to why he should come back right now. They have been based, among other things, on the fact that he has been injured, says Dettmann.
Last February, Nkamhoua injured his ankle and his season in Tennessee was cut short. Dettmann does not accept the injury explanation.
– However, he has been able to play himself in shape this summer. Now would have been a cherry on top of the cake. We didn’t think about it, says Dettmann.
– To be honest, we respect all people and other people’s opinions, but that does not mean that we should understand all of them.
“You also have to look in the mirror”
National team basketball is used to absences, as both Euroleague players and North American NBA and university players have been exhausted in the middle of the qualifying games during the club season in recent years.
Now in the World Cup, of course, from a European point of view, you will see quite a star cast from the NBA and the Euroleague, but this time, the American university faced Finland against Finland.
Dettmann considers the situation challenging for the sport.
– The university world is so different that we cannot understand it here. Maybe that’s a bit harsh, but the environment there is militaristic. The players are not given any options, says Dettmann.
Dettmann also reminds us that most of the conflicts in the world are caused by a lack of understanding.
– Here, too, you have to look in the mirror. Somehow we didn’t get to sell this thing as we should have, says Dettmann.
Susijengi has a place in the WC for the EC
Susijengi goes to the European Championships with a winning streak of no less than seven competitive matches. On Sunday, Susijengi won a place in the World Cup by playing for the first time in history. The 2014 debut at the World Championships came as a wild card at the time.
However, the team is aware that new challenges are now ahead.
– We are happy about the place in the World Cup, but I am old enough to know that it doesn’t help anymore, says 31-year-old Salin.
The party wasn’t even that funny on Sunday after the World Cup place was decided.
– You can say that the World Cup place was not celebrated at all. I’m old enough to try to get a crowd for one beer. Nobody came. Ilari Seppälä would have been the only one to leave. Then that one beer was missed, Salin laughed.
For Salin, Israel is an interesting focal point
Coincidentally, Finland will face Israel in Friday’s European Championship opener, which Susijengi covered last week in Tampere in the World Cup qualifying game. Salini also has an interesting attachment to Israel in the sense that he once made his national team debut against the same country in August 2010.
The debut was pretty amazing, because Salin scored 11 points coolly and was leading Susijeng to victory.
At the time, Salini’s debut was hailed as the most mature in a long time, for example. At that time, Israel actually fell in the second round, when key players at that time were injured.
In the past 12 years, Salin has become one of Susijeng’s key players and a more experienced guard. Salin is about to end his career at the European Championships Petteri Koponen and Shawn Huff along with the only player over 30 years old in the EC team.
– Damn athletic guys have joined this team, Salin laughs.
– I wasn’t one of them myself. When I joined Susijeng, I thought it was one of the best teams I’ve ever played for. Now that he has seen this youth guard, there is a tough guy coming, Salin states.
Salin hadn’t even realized in advance that this year’s EC team would have up to eight first-timers in the prestigious adult competitions.
– I asked someone if the first value races are exciting. The answer was that at least it doesn’t feel like it, Salin threw.
On the flight to Prague, Petteri Koponen sensed a little excitement in the debutantes.
– I could see from the young people that they were a little nervous and wondered a little where they were going, Koponen described.
Second place in the group?
The other teams in the group are Israel, Poland, the Czech Republic and the Netherlands. These have been considered teams that Finland has a chance to win.
The four best from the group advance to the next round. Susijengi is now playing for the fifth time in a row in the European Championships. Each time, Finland has progressed to the playoffs, but reaching the quarterfinals and the top eight has remained a dream. This year, the next games will be played in Berlin, Germany.
Salin shrugs off the speculation about the second place in the group, but now craves victory for Susijeng in the next games as well.
– Winning the first overtime game is a goal that is quite realistic. After that, everything is a plus. We have shown that we can beat anyone. If everything is healthy, we have good chances, says Salin.