CZE - Hanusova and Bartonova cut from the team for the FIBA World Championship

PRAHA (2010 FIBA World Championship for Women) - The coach of the Czech national women’s basketball team Lubor Blažek kept his word and after Thursday’s preparation match against Greece narrowed the team for the forthcoming world championship to 14 names. He thus had to cut two players from the team – Alena Hanušová and Kateřina Bartoňová.

“I am probably repeating myself, if I say that it was a very difficult decision to make, because both players improved greatly during the training camp and showed tremendous effort and willingness to work on themselves. Nevertheless the nomination criteria are merciless and we can’t do anything about them,” says coach Lubor Blažek.

The choice of the Czech national team’s coaches is logical in a certain sense, as both players were the youngest members of the national team and both managed to represent the CR on the U20 team this year. “Both Alena as well as Kačka have big futures ahead of them. In my opinion, they are players on which the Czech team’s play will be based in the future, perhaps already at the 2012 Olympics. But at this moment we went with experience. Moreover, both have had very demanding seasons and fatigue is apparent especially on Alena Hanušová. I would definitely like to thank both of them very much for their approach during the entire training camp and I believe that the preparation that they underwent was a big basketball lesson for them and will be beneficial into the future…” added coach Lubor Blažek in the end.

At this moment the Czech coach thus has thirteen players available, with Jana Veselá still battling overseas for the Seattle Storm in the WNBA. The Czech team still has a preparation match against China in Prague next week (September 17), after which Blažek should announce the final twelve member nomination for the world championship. “We can only put twelve names on the list, but we want to have all fourteen players at the championship. It’s important for the atmosphere in the team. I trust that the players that are not put on the list will understand their role and will contribute to a successful performance at the world championship,” said Lubor Blažek in the end.

Czech team for the 2010 world championship: Hana Horáková, Veronika Bortelová, Markéta Bednářová, Eva Vítečková, Romana Hejdová, Tereza Pecková, Edita Šujanová, Michaela Ferančíková, Ivana Večeřová, Kateřina Elhotová, Petra Kulichová, Ilona Burgrová, Michaela Hartigová, Jana Veselá