LAT - Bagatskis in line to coach Latvia

RIGA (EuroBasket 2011) – Latvia had dreamed of playing at the 2010 FIBA World Championship in Turkey but the Baltic side made an early exit at last summer’s EuroBasket after one win in three games.

The team now faces the difficult task of making it back to the Final Round of the EuroBasket, and the man who will lead the way is almost certain to be Ainars Bagatskis.

The Latvians are expected to confirm Bagatskis as their new coach at a federation meeting in Riga on February 3.

Currently at the helm of Russian Superleague outfit Enisey Krasnoyarsk in Russia, the 42-year-old represented Latvia at four EuroBaskets - the last in 2003 in Sweden.

The national team job became open when Latvia’s EuroBasket 2009 coach Kestutis Kemzura elected not to accept the offer of an extension.

Kemzura was then appointed coach of Lithuania.

Gundars Vetra, UMMC Ekaterinburg's Latvian coach, was considered for the position before EuroBasket 2009 and was again a possibility for the job this time but he ruled himself out.

He has a contract with Ekaterinburg through the 2010-2011 campaign.

If confirmed, Bagatskis will not have it easy when Latvia go into EuroBasket qualifying this year as they were on Saturday drawn in the toughest of the three Division A groups.

They are in Group A with Israel, Finland, Italy and Montenegro.

Nevertheless, the opportunity to lead Latvia is something Bagatskis desperately wants.

"To become the national team coach is an honor and a challenge for any coach," Bagatskis said.

"At the same time, it is a very important responsibility because the team represents the entire country.

"It has always been special when playing for the Latvian national team and therefore, I would be proud to represent Latvia basketball in the future, this time as coach."

Bagatskis plans to bring in former Latvia teammate Roberts Stelmahers as his main assistant.

Stelmahers is the coach of Lithuanian club Perlas Vilnius.

FIBA