2024-07-23 19:21:09
The general secretary of the Lithuanian Basketball Federation (LKF) Mindaugas Balčiūnas and president Vydas Gedvilas reacted to it.
The latter lrytas.lt told the portal that he himself had not heard of the basketball players consuming alcoholic beverages at the hotel, but emphasized that he would investigate the situation.
“I certainly did not have and do not have such information as is presented. You know, there are always a lot of such rumors-rumors. And about the basketball players, and about me. But that doesn’t mean they’re right. People can talk, but it is important that it is not slanderous. And for the moment, I cannot say that the information is correct, – lrytas.lt said V. Gedvilas. – I did not live in the same hotel with the national team. I can’t say anything. I say that I did not have and do not have any information that something wrong was being done. And I don’t believe it… The men came to the Olympic selection tournament, they all knew what they were driving, it couldn’t even be that the sports regime was being broken. I know all the basketball players, all of them are adequate, all of them are really sincere, so such hints are incomprehensible.”
However, the statements of LKF leaders only rocked the ship that was being tossed by the waves even more. The captain of the national team, Mindaugas Kuzminskas, also spoke here, who denied that the regime was not followed and testified that there was an incident with the television, but it was not related to the parties.
“The whole situation is very similar to some kind of broken phone. I received a lot of messages from you (fans – ed.), so in order to reduce interpretations, I can clearly say that before any match, let alone the most important (final – ed.), the mode was not compromised and/or it could somehow affect the match for the result”, wrote M. Kuzminskas.
After these statements, A. Tapinas published more information – he indicated that the party took place after the match with the Ivory Coast national team, and during it one of the younger players broke the television.
“After the match against Ivory Coast, a party starts in the evening in one of the team’s hotel rooms. There is hearty drinking, four or five national team players participate (Mindaugas Kuzminskas does not participate), various physical entertainments take place, and it so happens that one of the younger players breaks the television. The next day, the players, according to witnesses, look bad, but during lunch they are happy to tell about their night’s adventures. Coach (Kazys – ed.) Maksvytis also learns about them. The more experienced members of the delegation are worried, they know that such a bully may not respond immediately, but after a few days. Unfortunately, that seems to be the case. After the loss to Puerto Rico, as far as I know, coach Maksvytis tells Mindaugis Balčiūnas about this incident,” A. Tapinas wrote.
On Tuesday morning, LKF has already issued a joint statement:
“The Lithuanian Basketball Federation appreciates and encourages the desire and dedication of Lithuanian basketball players to represent their country and promote the name of the Lithuanian state.
The final sporting result of the Lithuanian national team at the Olympic selection tournament in Puerto Rico was determined by objective factors of sports training, such as lack of time for adaptation of the athletes’ bodies, too short acclimatization time, and most importantly – periodization, i.e. the absence of the best sports form of the basketball players and the whole team during the most important matches, due to objectively to control the body’s biological and physiological regularities in a short time.
We distance ourselves from any subjective and unsubstantiated speculations regarding the influence of possible side factors on the final performance of the Lithuanian men’s basketball team during the Olympic selection tournament. All members of the national team followed the sports regime and made maximum efforts to achieve the overall result.
We understand the reasons for the activation of public organizations before every election held in Lithuania. The upcoming LKF leadership elections are no exception, but we invite you to compete not with speculative assumptions, but with valuable ideas for the development and future of Lithuanian basketball.”
2024-07-23 19:21:09