Buyalski is back for Belarus

MINSK (EuroBasket Women 2015) - Anatoli Buyalski has been handed a third spell in charge of Belarus' women's national team.

Credited with overseeing the transformation of Belarus into one of the leading women's basketball nations in the world, the play-caller has been given the task of leading his nation at EuroBasket Women 2015, which will take place from 11 to 28 June in Hungary and Romania.

Buyalski first took charge of the team for a four-year stint (1994 to 1998).

He returned four years later and was at the helm for almost a decade (2002-2011), a time which witnessed the team become true sporting favourites in their homeland.

From 2002, he gradually built a team that made history and won an army of fans when they landed their first EuroBasket Women podium spot in 2007, coming in third in Chieti, Italy.

Thanks to this result, Belarus were in the 12-team field for the 2008 FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament for Women and they succeeded in securing their inaugural Olympic appearance. They came away with a highly-creditable sixth-place finish at the Beijing Games.

In 2010, they stepped out at their first FIBA World Championship for Women tournament and made a splash with a dazzling run to the Semi-Finals.

Buyalski stepped down after EuroBasket Women 2011 when as one of the favourites to challenge for the title, they crashed out of the competition prematurely.

He takes over from Rimantas Grigas, who successfully picked up the wreckage of that doomed run in Poland.

Despite the absence of several key players, he got Belarus out of a difficult qualification group and into the main draw at EuroBasket Women 2013. The team came in fifth to land a spot at the recent FIBA World Championship for Women.

Without their kingpin Anastasiya Verameyenka and the experienced Marina Kress who are both on maternity leave, Belarus were edged out in their pursuit of a Quarter-Final place at Turkey 2014.

FIBA