Children’s National Team: For the 10th time in the Eurobasket foursome

OR Children’s National Team with its victory over Turkey, it reached the semifinals of EuroBasket U16. It is the 10th time that Greece has managed to reach the top four of a European Youth Championship and only the third time in the 21st century.

The first time the Children’s National Team reached four was in 1975when he had also won the silver medal. In the final, he faced the Soviet Union and was defeated 64-61 in an event hosted in our country. Kalpakis, Magounis, Giannakis, Agrafiotis, Kakogeorgiou, Alexandris, Chrysikakis, Batis, Plomaridis, Tsoumis, Ioannou and Andritsos were the 12th team of Greece coached by Costas Anastasatos.

Greece reached four and was left off the podium again 1983when he was defeated in the minor final by the host Germany with 72-69. Diamantis, Patavoukas, Tolias, Daskalakis, Giannopoulos, Elliniadis, Politis, Vakirtzis, Makaras, Dimakopoulos, Sotiriou, Vatakis were the composition of the Greek team coached by Costas Politis.

Greek basketball celebrated five medals in six years from 1989 as well as the 1999: Gold in 1989 and 1993, silver in 1991 and 1999 and bronze in 1995. The names that competed in these teams are many and well known.

1989: Politis, Gagaudakis, Asteriadis, Hatzismalis, Georgikopoulos, Piaras, Kalogiros, Hatzopoulos, Gioras, Logothetis, Oikonomou, Tabakis (Coach: Thanasis Papadimitriou)

1991: Kikilias, Nikolaidis S. Liadelis, Maslarinos, Moraitof, Kougios, Paralikas, Renzias, Giannopoulos G., Valavanidis, Moumouris, Albertis (Coach: George Tsitskaris)

1993: Sofogiannis, Papadatos, Barlas, Papanikolaou D., Spanos, Hatzis, Chrysidis, Giannoulis, Despos, Karagoutis, Rentzias, Kakiouzis (Coach: Thanasis Papadimitriou)

1995: Agadakos, Ventouris, Vazaios, Papanikolopoulos, Koutsos, Giulekas, Xereas, Tahtatzis, Evangelitsis, Papadopoulos S., Karamanis, Kanellopoulos (Coach: Thanasis Papadimitriou)

1999: Kalaitzakis E., Zisis, Koumbouras, Spyros, Galis E., Theos, Georgallis, Gotsis, Papadopoulos Evstr., Mitsopoulos, Tzanetakos, Gizogiannis A. (Coach: Nikos Kerameas)

After a period of drought, the Children’s National Team stepped on the podium again 2013. He won the bronze medal in Kiev by defeating Italy 78-50 in the minor final. The players of that team were Koniaris, Kamaras, Douzidis, Flionis, Michaloutsos, Pefanis, Skoulidas, Psychidis, Fragiadakis, Mouratos, Papagiannis and Charalambopoulos, coached by Manos Manouselis.

The next quartet came just two years ago, the 2022when the Children’s National Team was defeated in the minor final by France with 46-65. The players of that team were Soilemetzidis, Maragoudakis, Liotopoulos, Spartalis, Rozakeas, Tsachtsiras, Epaminondas, Amposi, Avdalas, Komnianidis, Patrikis and Havoutsas coached by Vangelis Ziagos.