MKD - Olympic Qualifying Tournament bid: F.Y.R. of Macedonia profile

SKOPJE (Olympic Qualifying Tournament) - Last week, we looked at the bids of Argentina, the Czech Republic and Turkey to host the Olympic Qualifying Tournament (OQT) for Women. This week, our attention turns to the men's and we begin with F.Y.R. of Macedonia.

We spoke to Ilija Merdzanovski, F.Y.R. of Macedonia's Director of National Teams, about the country's bid as well as the momentum basketball is gaining there following an impressive fourth-place finish at this past summer's EuroBasket in Lithuania.

FIBA: Can you explain to us why you are bidding for this championship/tournament?

Ilija Merdzanovski: Because of our great success at EuroBasket 2011, (F.Y.R. of) Macedonia will have a real good opportunity to participate in a team sport at the Olympics for the first time in our history. Knowing the importance of the Olympic Games, and also knowing the importance of the basketball tournament at the Summer Olympics, this is a great chance for Macedonia to enter the highest circles in the sports world, and it is something this generation of basketball players in our country deserves. Organising a tournament of this calibre, that can be seen as a World Championship because of the fact that there are 12 teams from all around the world, is a huge and difficult task. But we are known for our hospitality, and the motivation to welcome the best in the basketball world is very big.

FIBA: What are the strong points of your bid?

Merdzanovski: As I mentioned before, even though we are a small country, we are known worldwide for our hospitality. Many other championships in other sports at continental and world level have already been organised here, and with the sports awareness that people in Macedonia have, the tournament by itself would be one to remember, not dependent on the results of the teams. The National Arena “Boris Trajkovski” is one of the greatest in the region, and the atmosphere, not only in the arena, but in the whole city and across the country upgrades the tournament from just a few basketball games into a real basketball celebration.

How big of an advantage will playing at home be for your team?

Merdzanovski: Macedonia has never lost an official basketball game on its home court in Skopje in 12 years. That fact should say enough about improving our chances of getting the biggest success in the history of Macedonian sports, by qualifying for the Olympics.

Apart from home court advantage, what will hosting an Olympic Qualifying Tournament bring to your country and to basketball there?

Merdzanovski: Basketball is the leading sport in our country, and with the success of our national team at the EuroBasket 2011, became a leading subject to talk about. Older people now talk about basketball, even politicians. News starts with basketball. The basketball interest in our country rises every day, more kids join youth basketball schools every day and surely the Olympic Qualifying Tournament will be an even bigger motivation for all of them. They all can find their idols, sitting or playing just next to them. That will improve the interest in the sport and with that secure a great basketball legacy, not only in Macedonia but in the region, in Europe.

What is the greatest moment in your country’s basketball history and how big of an achievement would it be for your team to qualify for the 2012 Olympics?

Merdzanovski: Definitely the biggest success of the sport in Macedonia is the fourth-place finish at the EuroBasket. The whole of Macedonia was on its feet in Skopje and in all the other cities in the country, celebrating every moment during the tournament, watching the games on big screens. More than 100,000 people gathered in Skopje to welcome the players that came back from Lithuania. Everything stopped in Macedonia during our games. Nobody was doing anything other than watching the games and cheering our players, who are considered as national heroes right now. Qualifying for the Olympics would be something like a reward for this generation that brought so much…It’s impossible to imagine - normally, in a positive way - what would happen if we qualify for London 2012.

FIBA