GRE - Big Sofo fully committed to national team

TEL AVIV (FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament) - If Sofoklis Schortsanitis is healthy and Greece select him, he plans on rejoining the national side for the FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament in Venezuela.

The 2.06m center, who played a huge role in the national team's 101-95 upset of the United States at the 2006 FIBA World Championship and was also a key in their bronze-medal triumph at EuroBasket 2009, withdrew from his country's EuroBasket squad in Lithuania last summer because his wife had complications with her pregnancy.

Looking back, the 26-year-old Schortsanitis says it was a difficult time.

"For a couple days, it was really tough for me to decide what to do, but I finally decided to step away from the national team," Schortsanitis said on the Turkish Airlines Euroleague website.

Schortsanitis stresses that his involvement with the national team has been a huge plus in his career.

That has been especially true after he's experienced difficult seasons with his club sides.

"I always came back strong with them," he said.

"The coaches and the people in charge there all helped me.

"So if they want me, I'll be there, god willing.

"If nothing else happens to me, hopefully I'll be able to give my services again to the national team.

"We'll see when the time comes.

"I know there were some bitter feelings about me pulling out at the last minute, but I hope that doesn't put a barrier on my relationship with the national team and they call me back."

In Tel Aviv, there has been media coverage of the big man's complaints about knee pains.

"It is something that perhaps limits him a little, but tests show it's nothing especially serious," Maccabi team manager Gur Shelef said last week.

"Sofo won't be operated on before season's end, and even then surgery is not a sure thing."

Greece will take on Jordan and Puerto Rico in Group A of the FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament, which tips off on July 2.

FIBA