2024-05-09 02:55:12
In the last third round of the selection tournament, the Lithuanian national team coached by Gintaras Savukynas will fight against the Hungarian national team. The first meeting will be held on May 9. in the biggest Vilnius “Twinsbet” arena, return match – on May 12. In the Hungarian city of Veszprem.
In the duel with the future participants of the Paris Olympic Games, the Hungarians, the Lithuanian national team did not avoid painful losses. Due to a serious knee injury, the only Lithuanian who won the Champions League – Jonas Truchanovičius – has not been able to help the national team for a long time, health problems also stopped the captain of the Lithuanian national team, Gerda Babarskas.
Meanwhile, this competition will be a return for the national team coach G. Savukyn. Then, the strategist was not allowed to join the national team due to conflicting competition schedules by the “Al Arabi” club of Doha, the capital of Qatar, which he trains.
– You could not be in the national team in the match against the Finns, because the club did not release you. What is your situation now?
– We finished cooperation with the club and I have time for the national team.
– What was your work like when you couldn’t be here?
– From the beginning of the preparation and during the last cycle, we were in close contact both for the analysis of the matches, and for the preparation, and during the competition. During the match, I sat and kept statistics. With the help of the doctor, I tried to send some kind of message during the match. It is difficult to say how much of that information reached in time, but there was some attempt to work together.
– Is it possible to mask the loss of a player like Gerdas Babarskas in the national team?
– I have already mentioned more than once that both Jonas Truchanovičius and Gerdas Babarskas are key players in our defense and the defense is built around them. Other men have a lot of desire, opportunities, but do not have the necessary experience. Such is the masking. I hope new leaders emerge to step into that role and fix the defense.
– The Hungarian team is a powerful opponent against whom you have already played. What makes them stand out?
– The team has not changed, that is their strength. The Hungarians have a sufficiently balanced composition, fully filled with high-quality athletes of all positions. The opponent is difficult.
– Vilnius seems to be a successful place for the national team. A historic victory over the Icelanders was also achieved here. What does the return to Vilnius mean for the team?
– I think it means, because in Vilnius there was not only a victory against the Icelanders, but also against the Norwegians, good fights against the French and Croatians – elite teams. At one point, we were stabilized here, it was like our home arena. We haven’t been here for a while now. I think that a good emotion will add motivation to the team, and comfort to the spectators, which I hope will gather quite a lot.
2024-05-09 02:55:12