The training camp will begin on Monday, July 28, in preparation for the European Championship final tournament, the Latvian Basketball Union (LBS) announced.

Kristaps Porziņģis, who was included in the list of candidates for the national team, will join the national team’s training sessions from July 30th, in accordance with the terms of the National Basketball Association (NBA) and International Basketball Federation (FIBA) contract. 

It is expected that 16 basketball players will advance to a training camp in Slovenia on August 3rd.

The head coach of the Latvian national team, Luca Banchi, emphasized that the entire organization is ready and determined to use all its skills to best prepare to represent Latvia in high-level competition.

“We have completed the first part of the preparation program. It was very productive, we had a great opportunity to improve the readiness of our players for future work. Now it is time to start the next stage of work,” said Banchi. “We can’t wait to feel the support of our unique and unrivaled fans again. Our land – Latvia!” said the popular Italian.

In the preparation phase for the European Championship final tournament, which will begin in Riga on August 27th, the Latvian national team has five test matches scheduled – on August 9th in Trieste against Italy, in Rīga on August 14th and August 16th against Lithuania and Slovenia respectively, as well as in Athens on August 20th against Greece and on August 21st against Italy again. 

In the group stage of the European Championship, the Latvian national team will play against Turkey on August 27th, Estonia on August 29th, Serbia on August 30th, Portugal on September 1st, and the Czech Republic on September 3rd. The top four teams in the group will advance to the round of 16, where they will play against one of the teams from Group B – Germany, Lithuania, Finland, Montenegro, Great Britain or Sweden. 

The group stage of the European Championship final tournament will feature 24 teams divided into four groups, playing a round-robin tournament staged in Rīga, Tampere, Katowice and Limassol. The top four teams from each group will advance to the knockout stages, which will be held in Rīga. The champions will be decided on September 14.