Our U18 girls realized a historic achievement by reaching the final of the European Championship (Division B). The results and performances by the team were recognized not only by the fans in Luxembourg, but also in other countries and by the opponents of team Luxembourg in Sofia (Bulagria).
Head coach Rumen Galabov had an exhausting week, he took the time to make this interview just 2 hours after the final game when the team arrived at the hotel. With plenty of raging noise of celebration in the background, Galabov shared his thoughts on the tournament.
What is the first conclusion you can draw after this historical performances for basketball in Luxembourg?
It was like a dream come true. We did not expect this in any way, especially because the preparation for the tournament was not ideal and rather short. We went into the tournament with the ambitions to win one or two games. With every victory, our confidence rose and suddenly we started believing in a sensational outcome. Right now, the feeling is a little bit surreal of what we accomplished. We showed that Luxembourg is able to play high level basketball! Nobody expected these results from a team from Luxembourg, we are extremely proud. I think that we realized something unthinkable for basketball in Luxembourg.
Most games were decided in the final seconds, Luxembourg had multiple comebacks, how challenging and exhausting was this week for the coaching staff?
It was a very hard week, there is no other way to say it. We are all exhausted, this tournament was a big challenge for the whole team and also for the coaching staff. What gave us new energy from day to day was the fighting spirit of the team and obviously the results. The spirit within the team was simply incredible which allowed us to stay focused even if we were down by a lot of points at some points of a game. Winning these close games gave everybody on the staff extra energy for the next day and challenge. I can say that the work that the coaching staff has done over these days was also remarkable. I want to thank assistant coach Andrea Sinka, team manager Irina Mazjoukhina and physio Eve Weber for the fantastic team work.
Ehi Etute has been named MVP of the tournament, what can you say about her performances?
Ehi carried our team, it is that simple. She is an outstanding player and her performances were simply amazing, there is no other way to say it. It was also interesting to see the feed-back by other coaches and teams. A lot of coaches asked me about her and wanted to get details. During the winners ceremony, the whole gym shouted « MVP » because they knew that Ehi had absolutely deserved this award!
