Susijengi has secured its place in next year’s World Championship as the first in Europe, even though there are still four rounds of qualifying left.
The Finnish men’s national basketball team will play in next year’s World Cup final tournament. The matter got the final seal when Sweden defeated Israel by 95-83 (52-38) in the further qualification.
The head coach Lassi Tuovi freshly commented on the good news when the Susijengi had landed on the domestic chamber.
– For many, it was certainly one of the best and most exciting flights of their lives, but in a good way. Thank you Sweden! Now you can enjoy for a while.
Finland had done its job wonderfully and scored a few hours earlier Jukka Toijalan piloted by Estonia 76–68 in Tallinn. Susigengi is on a winning streak of seven World Cup qualifying matches.
– The team played so well today that this was the icing on the cake. Let’s dream more and even bigger in the future. We will have a great program ahead of us, but now we will focus on the European Championships starting on Friday, that’s how boring you have to be as a coach, continued a mellow Tuovi.
The joy of his younger colleague was also joined by Susijengi’s long-time head coach and current sports director, Henrik Dettmann.
– This was something agreed with Sweden. We helped them to the World Cup qualifiers with a victory over Croatia, and now they helped us to the World Cup, Dettmann joked.
– This is a historic moment in Finnish basketball and everyone involved should be proud of this. Now let the work continue with the same determination, the same professionalism and the same energy on the European Championship grounds in Prague.
Finland has played in the Men’s Basketball World Cup once before, but made it there now by playing for the first time. Susijengi appeared at the World Cup level for the last time as a wild card in Spain in 2014. The 2019 World Cup in China was just one qualifying victory away.
The 2023 Basketball World Cup final tournament will take place from 1st to 17th. September in the Philippines, Japan and Indonesia.
The World Cup qualifiers continue for Finland in November.