LAT – Draw takes place for EuroBasket Women 2009 in Latvia

RIGA (EuroBasket Women 2009) - Hosts Latvia were on Wednesday afternoon drawn in EuroBasket Women 2009 Group B against Greece, Poland and Hungary.

The pool will be viewed as a favourable one for the Baltic country, with none of their opponents having played at this summer’s Olympics.

Hungary advanced to next year’s Final Round as the best third-place team from the four qualifying groups.

The Latvians came in fourth at the EuroBasket Women 2007 and then earned a trip to the Beijing Games at the FIBA Additional Qualifying Tournament in Madrid.

Once in China, Latvia scraped a win against Brazil but lost their other games.

Spain are in Group A and must take on EuroBasket 2005 champions the Czech Republic, a team that will be gunning for honours ahead of their hosting of the 2010 FIBA World Championship for Women.

The Czechs played at the Olympics and were disappointing, beating only Mali and New Zealand.

Spain coach Evaristo Perez has spoken of his optimism about the national team.

"A fifth position at the Olympics means to be among the best five in the world," he said.

"We have only had the three world powers (United States, Australia and Russia) ahead of us and the host nation (China). This means that Spain is at a great world level which allows us to think that if we remain in the same line of work, we will be close to one of those teams that are currently ahead of us."

The group also has Slovakia, who reached the EuroBasket under their new coach Pokey Chatman, and one of the two teams that will earn a spot via the Additional Qualifying Round.

Defending EuroBasket champions Russia, the bronze-medal winners at the Olympics, have been drawn in Group C with Lithuania, Turkey and Serbia.

There is no word yet on whether or not American Becky Hammon intends to represent Russia in Latvia. Hammon, who is on the books of CSKA Moscow in the WNBA close season, received her Russian citizenship earlier this year and played for the country at the Olympics.

In Group D, Olympic quarter-finalists Belarus will take on France, Israel and the other side that emerges from the Additional Qualifying Round.

The Additional Qualifying Round games will be played in January. Ukraine, Italy, Germany, Belgium, Bulgaria and Croatia will take aim at the two places on offer.

The EuroBasket Women Final Round tips off on June 7.

FIBA