Dikoudis: “The Greek sports fan came close to the national team again”

THE Municipality of Dikoudis talk to EOK Web Radio for its course National team last summer and the fact that people came close to the “blue and white” again.

What he said in detail:

For the account of the “small” national teams: “The summer left a positive sign. For the 2nd year in a row, we had a medal in the Youth, which is the men’s vestibule, which is a very big success for the National team. Many children have a future from this “bakery”. Nothing is accidental. Very organized work was done both last year and this year and we managed to celebrate another medal in this category. In the U18, we set as a big goal the entry into the top 5 that leads to the World Cup, but we did not succeed. I don’t want to use very heavy words like “failure” and so on. We are talking about new kids, who we personally know how hard they worked and I wanted something more, while the staff also put in a lot of work in the summer. Not realizing the goal gives them more motivation and stubbornness to fight like Young people in 2025 and 2026 for something even bigger. Finally, the Girls were a properly structured team, which played at its peak and reached the 4th place. We faced high level teams. We were 5 minutes away from the medal, but we didn’t make it. We saw very good basketball from the children and they show promise for the future. This national team also left a very positive mark”.

For the playbook: “We at the Nationals want to apply our own principles and the principles of Greek basketball. We had to capture them in a playbook, it was a commitment of the EEC. It took time, it was a very long and difficult process, many coaches, scientists, basketball experts were involved. It was also a demand from unions across the country that we give them something to pass on to the kids and the academies, so that we have a common line. It is not an easy process, nor is its implementation, but we must follow a model, share know-how and move forward together. It will be a very useful tool in the hands of coaches and clubs and it is made and structured based on the principles we want to pass throughout Greece and to the national teams.”

On whether there is a future in Greek basketball: “I want to always see the glass as half full. There are guys coming from the back, guys who have appetite, who when they get to the Men’s National Team environment will reflect on the responsibility and how important it is to wear this shirt and I believe they will give their best. It’s not easy. They have to take the right steps, they have to go to high-level clubs, play there, become important, become a point of reference in their teams, so that when they get to the Men’s National Team they can back that up. Because we love sport so much as Greeks, in the coming years, with the renewal that will slowly come to the National Team, we will see a new National Team, with protagonists we did not expect, who will take the reins and be able to hold high this group. Don’t forget that we are a small country and we want to be in medals worldwide, which is not easy, but we are present at major events.”

For the excellent atmosphere that existed at the Pre-Olympic tournament: “This is the imprint left by a major event held in our country, let alone when it is crowned with success. It was very difficult and a great success for the administration and Mr. Liolios personally for the Pre-Olympics to come to Piraeus. In addition to qualifying the National Team for the Olympic Games, it left the impression of a full stadium, with children rejoicing, being close to the protagonists, seeing high-level matches and wanting to catch a ball the next day.”

On whether Vassilis Spanoulis put basketball back in the hearts of Greeks: “Starting with the Men’s, if you consider when the Pre-Olympics ended and when the Olympics ended, it’s a very long time and it’s unusual. This means that the Greek sports fan was involved for a very long time this summer with the National team. This filled expectations, people liked it, it got close to the National team again, it brought kids to the academies and to the sport. It’s something that can only give us joy as basketball people.”