FIBA - Profile of 2014 FIBA Basketball World Cup wild card candidate: Finland

MIES (FIBA Basketball World Cup) - On 1 February 2014, FIBA's Central Board will announce the national teams that will be the recipients of the four wild cards to complete the field at the 2014 FIBA Basketball World Cup.

Fifteen national teams from across four FIBA zones submitted their applications for the wild cards. They all participated in their respective 2013 continental championships which are qualifying tournament for FIBA's flagship event in Spain next year (30 August-14 September 2014).

The 15 candidates are: Bosnia and Herzegovina, Brazil, Canada, China, Finland, Germany, Greece, Israel, Italy, Nigeria, Poland, Qatar, Russia, Turkey and Venezuela.

In the lead-up to the decision on 1 February, we will profile all 15 applicants.

Today, we look at Finland (FIN).

Recent history in international competitions: Finland impressed many observers at EuroBasket 2013 by finishing ninth after registering victories over big basketball nations such as Turkey, Russia and Greece as well as against tournament hosts Slovenia and up-start Sweden. The Finns had a 4-1 record in the First Round, losing only to Italy. In the Second Round, Henrik Dettmann's team lost to Croatia and Spain before finishing on a high note by beating Slovenia. It was the second time that Finland grew into the hearts of basketball fans following EuroBasket 2011 where the Scandinavians were playing in their first European Championship since 1995. The Finns beat Bosnia and Herzegovina by 28 points in Alytus and then advanced to the Second Round with a win over Montenegro. In the next group stage, they beat Georgia to eventually take ninth place. Finland have never played in FIBA's flagship event and have not played in a world event since taking 11th at the 1964 Olympics.

Vesa Wallden, the Secretary General of the Finnish Basketball Association, took time to state the case on his country's behalf to be given a wild card for Spain 2014.

FIBA: What are the three main reasons why Finland deserves to receive a Wild Card to participate in the 2014 FIBA Basketball World Cup?
Wallden: 1. Since 2006, Finland is Europe's most improved national team, rising from 33rd place in 2006 to ninth place at the last two EuroBasket tournaments. Thriving in its role as underdog, Finland has defeated seven teams already qualified for the 2014 FIBA World Cup. At EuroBasket 2013, the team additionally knocked off four teams from the Top 15 in FIBA's Ranking Men. Considering that the FIBA Basketball World Cup has had nine and 10 European participants, respectively, in the last two tournaments, Finland would have already qualified without the wild card system. 2. Finland is committed to working with the Local Organising Committee to maximize the number of Finnish fans attending the 2014 FIBA Basketball World Cup. With 40,000 Finns living in Spain and thousands expected to travel to Spain, we expect to have the largest fan-base besides the host team - if Finland gets a wild card. 3. The current growth of Finnish basketball is the result of a solid long-term strategy being executed by the Finnish Basketball Association. Winning a wild card berth would give a tremendous additional boost in the Association's 75th anniversary year (1939-2014).

FIBA: If given a wild card, how competitive can we expect Finland to be and how confident are you that the team will feature all its leading/best players?
Wallden: Finland's national team has shown its competitive spirit on the court and has the results to prove it as indicated above in my previous answer. And if one thing is guaranteed, it is that Finland's best players ALWAYS suit up for the national team. Ever since coach Henrik Dettmann's return to the national team bench in 2004, and following the examples of team legends Hanno Mottola and Teemu Rannikko, not a single player has turned down an invitation to suit up for Finland when called upon - a track record that almost no country in the world can match. The current team, led by FIBA Europe Player of the Year nominee Petteri Koponen, has publicly committed 100 percent to playing in Spain in 2014. In addition, NBA player Erik Murphy has announced his commitment.

FIBA: How will having Finland play at the 2014 FIBA Basketball World Cup help the growth, development, and popularity of the sport in Finland?
Wallden: The impact of Finland's performances at the 2011 and 2013 EuroBasket tournaments cannot be overstated. Much like Finland's first Ice Hockey World Championship in 1995, Finland's performances have raised the nation's confidence that it can play and win against the world's best on the basketball court. The number of Finnish teams participating in European competition has increased from 0 to 4 in the last four years, including club team Joensuun Kataja's Quarter-Final berth in the 2012-13 Eurochallenge, reigning national champion Loimaa Bisons' strong performances in the 2013-14 Eurocup and Team TEHO Sport's qualification to the TOP 16 of the 2013-14 Eurochallenge. There are now six TV channels broadcasting basketball in Finland, including a new domestic league package broadcast by YLE (the Finnish Broadcasting Company), the primary national TV channel, announced after Eurobasket 2013. Already in 2013, basketball appearances on TV were up nearly 40 percent compared to 2010.

FIBA: What do you consider the greatest moment in Finland’s basketball history?
Wallden: The Finnish Basketball Association is celebrating its 75th anniversary in 2014 (1939-2014), making it one of the oldest federations among FIBA's membership. During its history, Finland has qualified and played in the 1964 Olympic Games, hosted the 1967 European Championships (finishing sixth), taken a Julius 'Dr J' Erving-led USA team to overtime in 1970 and knocked off a strong Russia side in 1993 to qualify for the 1995 European Championships. But nothing to date compares with the overall experience of what is being called the "Koper Phenomenon" from EuroBasket 2013. With 2,000 Finnish fans traveling to Koper to cheer on their heroes, Finland started with an upset win over Turkey. An emotional double overtime victory over Russia secured the team's spot in the Second Round, and an amazing performance by star guard Petteri Koponen in a victory against Greece capped a great week on the Slovenian coast. The connection between the fans and the team is something that to date measures as the greatest moment in Finnish basketball history. This connection was captured on video, which was attached to Finland's wild card application (http://youtu.be/elLNE-DxQ-Y).

Key facts and figures and additional information about basketball in Finland
• 70,000 players, 16,000 licensed players (10,000 men, 6,000 women)
• 11 national teams in various age groups, which play 150 international games annually
• The Finnish Basketball Association is celebrating its 75th anniversary in 2014 (1939-2014), making it one of the oldest federations among FIBA's membership. Given the Finnish Association's long-term commitment to the game and its measurable growth in on-court performance in recent years, it would be a crowning achievement and an example to all the smaller countries in the world that a solid long-term strategy will be recognized and awarded with the opportunity to compete against the world’s best at the 2014 FIBA World Cup.
• The global media love underdog stories and the Finnish national team exemplifies this underdog role, with a team that has consistently knocked off some of the world's best teams in the last seven years with its hustle, great teamwork, and an amazing belief in its ability to defeat bigger and more name-worthy opponents. Just ask the players from Greece, Italy, Russia, and Slovenia at EuroBasket 2013.

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