MAD/FRA - Proud to represent the Malagasy

VANNES (AfroBasket) - Eric (René) Rakotondrasolo made his Madagascar national team bow in the summer of 2011.

The experience is something he'll never forget.

Born in France, Rakotondrasolo's family hails from the island nation in the Indian Ocean which is off the southeastern coach of the African continent.

The 1.80m point guard had been discovered by a Madagascar basketball official while playing in the Rencontre Nationale Sportive (RNS) - an Olympic-style sports competition for the Malagasy people that is held in different cities every year in France.

The highlight of 2011 was playing at the AfroBasket in Antananarivo.

This year, Madagascar didn't feature at the event in Cote d'Ivoire but Rakotondrasolo remained close to the international game.

He worked as a volunteer during the EuroBasket Women in France.

First Round games were held in Vannes, where he has a job as an advisor with a bank.

Rakotondrasolo says he wants to play for Madagascar again one day.

He spoke to FIBA.com.

FIBA: When did you realize you were going to play for Madagascar's national team?
Rakotondrasolo: At the beginning of June 2011, I received a short message on my mobile phone. There was to be a gathering in Paris to find the best Malagasy players in Europe. I went and was selected for the national team to play at the Olympic Games of the Indian Ocean and at the AfroBasket in Madagascar.

FIBA: What precisely is your connection to Madagascar?
Rakotondrasolo: I was born in Vannes while my parents were born in Madagascar. First of all, my grandmother was married to a Frenchman who was a sailor for the French army. At the beginning of the 1970s, there was a big riot by the people (of Madagascar). The government took the decision to get rid of all French people who lived in the country. Malagasy people wanted their independence. My grandmother and her husband decided to leave Madagascar and to live in Brittany in Sene, near Vannes. And then my parents came to live here.

FIBA: What was the first day of training with the Madagascar national team in 2011?
Rakotondrasolo: It was not easy for me. I arrived just the night before in Madagascar after a long trip. Then, at dinner I met my teammates for the first time and they made no effort to speak to me. They thought that a guy like me coming from France was a pretentious person. The following day, we started training at 8am. I was still exhausted by the trip and my first shot was an air ball. I had to learn all the tactics in only two hours. The coach yelled at me during the entire training because I'd arrived late to the country and he said we couldn't waste any more time. I remember that two guys came to talk to me and gave me some advice. They were Charles Ramsdell, an American guy who played as a professional in Spain's ACB, and Dague Rabekoto, who was probably the best player of the team. Today, all of my teammates are like my family.

FIBA: How many weeks did the team practice before AfroBasket 2011?
Rakotondrasolo: We played for six weeks of which a fortnight was dedicated for the Olympic Games of the Indian Ocean in Seychelles.

FIBA: Talk about playing for Madagascar.
Rakotondrasolo: It was a dream come true. I could never have imagined I would be able to represent my country and wear the jersey of the national team. Actually, I have never lived in Madagascar but only spent some holidays there with my family. Deep down in my heart, I wanted to do something for my country. It means a lot to me and especially for my father. It's a way for me to show that I will never forget my roots, even if I live in France. I love my country in spite of the poverty and the political problems. I´m so proud of representing Madagascar. It's the most beautiful thing of my career.

FIBA: That first AfroBasket game against Mozambique must have been special.
Rakotondrasolo: First, when we left the hotel we had a police escort like Rolling Stones. It was unbelievable to see all the cars and the people on each side of the road screaming "Let's go Madagascar". Then, a couple of ministers came to cheer us on in the changing rooms. Finally, when we went onto the court. Itt was difficult to concentrate as all the spotlights and cameras were pointed at us. But in the end, that was a moment I really desired. I almost had tears in my eyes thinking about my daughter and my wife. I was so proud to play for Madagascar. But it was probably our worst game in the competition, we were too inhibited to give our best. Behind the scenes, my family couldn't imagine seeing me like an NBA player. Everyone was so proud and excited no matter the score. It was a big game.

FIBA: What about facing Nigeria?
Rakotondrasolo: Indeed, we played against Nigeria and Ime Udoka. He doesn't talk too much on the court and doesn't show his emotions. He was surprised by the way we played and also by the support of the Malagasy people. He just told me he was so pleased to play against us because seeing all of us running all over the court gave him a headache. Ime didn't want to play against us in the Second Round. He knew we were able to raise our level at any time of the game thanks to our fans. It was a great first half, we managed to lead for a little time but in the end, Nigeria were too strong and we lost the game.

FIBA: It must have been disappointing for Madagascar not to play at AfroBasket 2013.
Rakotondrasolo: Unfortunately, the country and the Malagasy Federation didn't have enough money to go to the AfroBasket. Our country is having some political trouble so it was impossible to play basketball. I would have liked to play even with my wedding (this summer) and I wish to do so in the future. It's a huge honor. You cannot refuse to play for your country. The next goal for Madagascar is to play at the Olympic Games of the Indian Ocean in 2015 and I would love to be part of the team. I would like to finish with a title and give pleasure to the people of Madagascar.

FIBA: Tell us about being a volunteer driver at the EuroBasket Women.
Rakotondrasolo: In fact, the boss of the committee was looking for some people who spoke English. He asked me and I said yes. It´s a good way to stay close to basketball and get another point of view. And in the future, my dream would be to work in a basketball organization or in sport business. So I learned a lot that way.

FIBA