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National Junior Men: “Nothing compares to a success with the national flag”

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Thodoris Konstantinidis, Christos Boutouris and Haris Paraskevopoulos spoke on the EEC website about the great success of winning the bronze medal in EuroBasket U20.

Konstantinidis: “We made the world proud”

Thodoris Konstantinidis, with basketball DNA in his veins, played his best game with the blue and whites and showed himself ready to take on a greater share of responsibility. “Everyone gave their best on the field”, he will say, showing that his mind is on the team, even after a triumph and not on the fact that he himself was the leading scorer of the match with 19 points, but also five assists and two steals in 23?!

Especially in the game against Belgium with the absences and injuries of some players, we managed to fill in the gaps together and with mental strength and solidarity to get the medal“.

A medal that for him is important for the country: “The bronze medal is a great success for our team and for Greece. I believe that this success was built very methodically from the preparation to the last match. It is an achievement of all the kids and the coaching staff“.

The emotion that dominates is, logically, joy and only with Konstantinidis writing the epilogue:We are all very happy. We showed what the Greek soul means and we hope we made the world proud!

Boutouris: “I had never experienced such emotions before”

The first sample of writing he had given in an emphatic way and three accurate long shots in the match against Israel. Three three-pointers that helped Greece take the next step in the competition. In the small final, Christos Boutouris was again there in defense and with decisive shots to give his own impetus to the team on its way to the bronze medal.

The course in Eurobasket was a unique experience for me and it hid many difficulties for our team. From the group stage we faced strong teams and very good players, but with cooperation and teamwork, two elements that were characteristic of our team, we reached third place“.

Boutouris singles out the short final as an experience for his own participation: “I entered the game determined. We wanted to overturn the situation and difference against us and reach the victory and the medal we wanted so much. We also had the injury of Plotas, an event not at all pleasant for the team, as he is one of the strongest guys in the team. But the rest of us, all together, managed to respond, to help the team reach victory“.

With all the sincerity that such moments and experiences bring that you have never experienced before, Boutouris in his own way arrives at… after the victory: “The emotions that such an event brings and some moments in the game were something I had never experienced before. I still can’t believe I did this! The joy is truly indescribable for this medal! I would like to thank my team and the coach above all who made us believe in winning the medal and guided us to the small final with the right instructions. The staff took care of us all these days and responded to all our needs. As I would like to say another “thank you” to my family, my coaches and the people who were and are close to me“.

Paraskevopoulos: “It can’t be compared to anything wearing the jersey of the National Team”

Seeing Haris Paraskevopoulos playing, “sticking” to the opponent in defense and claiming every centimeter on the floor, you can’t help but think that he is the player you love when he is your teammate and “hate” when he is opposite you. He was also, let it be said now that it’s all over, talking about a medal after the loss to Poland and promising it. Which, to the extent that is attributable to him, he complied with. It is also the starting point of his statements after the match against Belgium.

From the beginning of the preparation, the goal was to win a medal. We all worked very hard for it and there was a common mentality. Unfortunately, some defeats in the first phase determined the intersection of the semi-final where we found France against us. We weren’t who we should have been in the first half and that cost us a place in the final of the competition. In the match against Belgium we were all incredibly conscious, we knew the reason for who we were playing and the medal was the only way for us“.

His role increased compared to the previous matches, also due to the injury of Nikos Plotas, emphasizing however, as is often the case in such cases in close teams, that at the same time everyone found an extra motivation: “Nikos’ injury activated us even more, on the one hand because the void of his absence had to be filled equally, on the other hand because this year was his last year in this particular event. We all wanted to be a part of this success and give him the joy of a medal since he couldn’t compete“.

Paraskevopoulos feels everything even more strongly, because the success came with the blue and white: “I think most people will agree with this: No success with our teams compares to a distinction with the coat of arms! Playing for your country, wearing the jersey of the National Team and managing to get on the podium is a unique feeling that cannot be replaced by anything else. I am proud of the whole team, of each individual child, but also of the entire staff, who helped us all experience these moments together“.

Perhaps he will manage to experience similar moments next year, in Crete, where the 2025 U20 EuroBasket will be hosted!

Source: Sport Fm

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