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Efes Pilsen World Cup starts this weekend
ISTANBUL - Hürriyet Daily News | 8/20/2010 12:00:00 AM |
Turkey is competing in the Efes Pilsen World Cup, its final preparatory tournament before the FIBA 2010 World Basketball Championship.
Turkey is competing in the Efes Pilsen World Cup, its final preparatory tournament before the FIBA 2010 World Basketball Championship.
Ankara will host the ninth edition of the Efes Pilsen World Cup, which will feature matches between Argentina, Canada, Lebanon and Turkey, starting Saturday. All matches of the three-day tournament will be played in the Ankara Sports Hall, which will also host Group C matches for the World Basketball Championship.
Turkey opens its tournament games against Lebanon on Saturday at 8:15 p.m. Prior to that match, World Basketball Championship contender Argentina will meet Canada, who suffered an agonizing 123-49 friendly loss against Greece earlier this week, at 5:30 p.m.
On day two, Lebanon will meet Argentina at 5.30 p.m. while Turkey will take on Canada at 8:15 p.m.
Monday will see Canada take on Lebanon and Turkey wrapping up the tournament against Argentina.
The tournament is important for Turkey as it offers one last chance to get back in its best shape before hosting the World Basketball Championship, since its recent friendly matches have ended frustratingly.
Turkey is on a four-game losing streak after being beaten by Serbia, Croatia, Lithuania and Germany in the last two weeks.
Assistant coach Orhun Ene admitted that the team’s performance has been far from satisfactory.
“We did not get the results to satisfy our fans and ourselves,” Ene said at the press conference to launch the Efes Pilsen World Cup. “We want to start the World Basketball Championship with high morale, so we want to win the Efes Pilsen World Cup.”
Argentinean player Luis Scola said he is happy to play games in Turkey.
“It is a country that loves basketball,” said Scola. “I am happy that the World Basketball Championship will be played in Turkey.”
Three-day tickets for the tournament are on sale via Biletix (www.biletix.com). Tickets are priced at 17, 34, 56 and 113 Turkish Liras in four categories.