Moraitis, Flionis, Mouratos and P. Kalaitzakis talk about the windows: “They help us a lot”

Four players who seized the opportunity given to them in his qualifiers World Cup they talked about the importance of “windows”. Dimitris Moraitis, Dimitris Flionis, Vassilis Mouratos and Panagiotis Kalaitzakis they emphasize the help they give to young players, but also to the national teams to prepare their next generations.

Dimitris Moraitis: “The windows really help us showcase our talent and what we can do. They have helped us a lot and not just me, but all the players. The fact that we play with other national teams, the effort we make to get things out on the pitch, but also our desire to prove our capabilities, is something that helps a lot. Through the Windows process we really feel like we are becoming better players. The images I take obviously make me better and develop as a player. Personally, it helps me a lot. Each Window is separate. We were also in Heraklion (in the previous window) all together, we are close, all this has done us a lot of good and I believe that the chemistry we have built as a team and which we have created through these matches also plays a role. That’s how it turned out for us in the match against Serbia. We were all tied together.”

Dimitris Flionis: “Windows helps us become a better team. It is a group of players, those of the Windows, but also those who go to the competitions in the summers, who create an identity and a connection between them. This whole process is a great motivation for us, individually and as a team, to be here during the year. It brings us a relief and creates a different note and for us it is very important, as a national team, to be in the middle of the year, to bond so that there is a contact and a homogeneity. It’s a completely different process (that of Windows), which gives you something special as a player and as a character. In general, all Greek players, we have a very competitive atmosphere and a noble rivalry, which creates good teams. Teams, which is what the word says: Team! Little by little small pieces of the puzzle are changing. The Windows offer this possibility, since the changes in the roster were small. Since there is homogeneity and as players we like each other, this result comes out.”

Vassilis Mouratos: “Windows is a very good opportunity for the players who mainly make up the Windows team to show what they can do at the highest level, in full stadiums and representing the national emblem which in my opinion is the greatest thing an athlete can live. It is a very productive process for us and to show what we can do at the highest level. In the game against Serbia the intensity was very high, my whole body hurt and I felt as if I had played three matches at once. These matches are very different and we athletes experience them much more intensely, because we play for the National team. And when we see a full stadium, with the children supporting us, the motivation we have is much greater. I don’t think we need extra motivation, or examples of other national teams to get on the pitch and give it our all. I know the Windows guys and their character and I’m well aware that we are very, very motivated regardless of other examples. We have a lot of faith in ourselves and everything we’ve built over the last few years, because for better or worse, it’s pretty much the same pool that the windows roster is drawn from. We just have to be patient and in the end everyone will get their chance and what they deserve. Some faster, some slower, I believe that through this process (of the Windows) all players win. I don’t know if we could have invented the Windows if they didn’t exist, but I just know that everything in basketball is a matter of timing. With the fact that the Windows took place, the conditions arose for some children to be in the National team, which otherwise might not have occurred, or might not have had the opportunity to be found. I think that for most Windows players the conditions to play, regardless of what may be going on around them, have turned out well. The win over Serbia was a combination of many things together. It was definitely a product of the great will that made up this mission and I’m not just referring to the players… I’m talking about the coaching staff, I’m talking about the managers, I’m talking about the trainers. No one came to do chores. Everyone wants and is here to give everything for the national team. There were children who came forward because of character and because of personality in the competitive part. Finally, the stadium played a very important role. The National team playing in a stadium with 8 thousand people is important. He was our 6th player, he gave us a lot of motivation and really the victory becomes more important because we had already qualified. The fact that we played like this and presented ourselves in this way against a behemoth who wanted the match, gives a huge dimension to our victory.”

Panagiotis Kalaitzakis: “I don’t think we need another motivation. We are some guys who have been playing together since last year and we have built something. We were ready and confident that we could beat Serbia. If it wasn’t for Windows we might not have the opportunity to play these kinds of games. I think it was good for us. I don’t think that apart from us and the coaches, anyone believed us after seeing the Serbian roster and ours. They played with players like Milutinov, Yaramaz, Jovic who have taken part in major tournaments. The world helped us a lot, we believed in ourselves, we all played together, and I believe we proved to the world, but also to ourselves, that this country has a future, has children and will have children. There needs to be a plan and we need to know how we will help the players, so that the players can also help as much as they can. As Greeks, we have proven in the past that we play with our heart and soul. We have the ability and the will. For the past month and a half I have had a lower back injury that is still bothering me now. I was quite behind. I want so badly to come in and help. And my team, Panathinaikos. However, the fact that I was with the National Team in front of so many people, so many children and wearing the jersey with the National Emblem, was something incredible and gave me motivation. I entered from the first minute with the thought of helping my team as much as I can. The World Cup is a long way off. But the dream, not only mine, but of all the kids here is that one day we can play in the World Cup. It’s not something I’m thinking about right now though. We have a long way to go.”