LAT - Kemzura names players competing for EuroBasket roster spots

RIGA (EuroBasket 2009) - Latvia's superstar center Andris Biedrins is a permanent fixture at the EuroBasket Women, sitting at mid-court for all of his country's games and watching the Baltic team make a run for the podium.

It won't be long before the Golden State Warriors rebounder extraordinaire goes from spectator to player and puts on the national team jersey himself.

The basketball federation has confirmed that Biedrins is in the country's preliminary squad ahead of the EuroBasket in Poland.

Veteran center Kaspars Kambala, Kristaps Valters, Janis Blums, Sandis Valters, Armands Skele, Aigars Vitols, Kristaps Janicenoks, Uvis Helmanis and Kaspars Berzins will all be at the practices which start on July 20 with national team coach Kestutis Kemzura.

Kemzura will be busy before then, however.

On Saturday (July 13), practices will get underway for other national team hopefuls.

They are Edgars Jeromanovs, Raimonds Gabrans, Mareks Jurevicus, Ingus Bankevics, Ernests Kalve, Gatis Jahovics, Arturs Stalbergs, Rihards Kuksiks, Jurijs Aleksejevs, Arturs Berzins, Rolands Freimanis, Ronalds Zakis, Pavels Veselovs and Raitis Grafs.

The coach will retain several of those players for the practices that begin with Biedrins and Co on July 20.

A couple of promising players who will compete at the U20 European Championship, Janis Strelnieks and Dairis Bertans, may be invited into the team once their under-20 duties are completed.

The Latvian Basketball Federation have also revealed that Kemzura will have a solid coaching staff.

His assistants will be Igors Miglinieks, Edmunds Valeiko and Viktors Lacis.

Latvia finished second in their qualifying campaign last summer behind F.Y.R. of Macedonia. In Poland, they will go up against defending European champions Russia, a rebuilding Germany and the side that wins the Additional Qualifying Round (Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Portugal, France, Finland or Italy).

FIBA