GRE - Stratos Perperoglou: `No one has ever signed a contract with success’

ATHENS (FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament) - Stratos Perperoglou’s initial call-up to the Greek national team came last year as a reward for an impressive 2006-07 season with Panionios.

The second one, which came this summer, is confirmation after many solid performances this past campaign with Panathinaikos that he is now among the elite players in the country.

last season, this time wearing the jersey of Panathinaikos and winning the first trophies in his career. Stratos Perperoglou is not living the national team experience for the first time this summer, but this does by no means imply he is less ready for hard work and striving for the best.

He spoke to FIBA.com at the Greek training camp where he is working hard and trying to earn a place in the final squad that will play at the FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament.

FIBA: You are one of the newest additions to the team yet you are not a rookie anymore because of your experience last year. Does this help at all?

Stratos Perperoglou: Yes, of course it does help; no question about that. From the very beginning I felt more comfortable, plus this time I am carrying last season’s experience with Panathinaikos, where I was training and playing at the highest level, so I believe things are obviously better for me.”

FIBA: How does the fact that four players who had been around for a long time - Lazaros Papadopoulos, Dimos Ntikoudis, Nikos Hatzivrettas and Michalis Kakiouzis – are now absent? How does that influence you?

Stratos Perperoglou: In the national team, there are always faces coming and going. In this case, we’re talking about very important parts of the team’s success in recent years. However, the national team must proceed with the guys that are here now, and this will be happening forever, year in and year out. Each and every one of the four guys will be missed, but on the other hand the national team, like any club team, refreshes itself and goes forward.

FIBA: How different are things this year, with much less time for preparation? For example, your basic training stage at the Karpenissi facilities will be almost cut in half compared to last summer.

Stratos Perperoglou: There’s not a lot of time, it’s true. But this will be not a problem. There is planning and programming. Time is truly tighter than last year, but we are working hard all together to train as efficiently as we can. As the coach (Panagiotis Yannakis) said, we have to be concentrated, since we have to assimilate some things very quickly due to the lack of time. In addition, we new players have to bind with the rest of the team. Our first goal is the Olympic Qualifying Tournament, and we want to achieve qualification for the Olympic Games. We don’t forget that the qualifying tournament will be held on our home soil, in Athens, meaning an additional incentive for us.”

FIBA: How difficult a mission is the OQT? We are asking because there are a lot of people just skipping it.

Stratos Perperoglou: The OQT games are very difficult ones, given that no one has ever signed a contract with success, or guaranteed that we will qualify for the Olympic Games without trying. We have to try hard, because there are indeed difficulties. For instance, the first knock-out game is crucial, and certainly a game we have to win in order to go on. I believe our team has a lot of potential. The Greek national team has shown for many years that it is able to fight for its goals and play hard to achieve them, putting lots of work into them.”

FIBA: Apart from the hard work, which is indeed a fact, should we consider the good atmosphere inside the team a fact as well?

Stratos Perperoglou: “For sure! Besides, what we have said during the season holds true: We national team players are all friends, regardless of what happens during the 40 minutes of the Greek championship games. We’re having a good time, and this is obvious in every national team gathering, both on and off the court. The national team atmosphere is really something to savor and enjoy.”

FIBA