MKD – Prime Minister salutes FYR of Macedonia basketball heroes

SKOPJE (EuroBasket Qualifying) – The parties lasted until the early morning hours in Skopje on the night FYR of Macedonia qualified for EuroBasket 2009 in Poland.

The country ended a nine-year absence from the prestigious tournament and everyone – the players, coaches and fans – wanted to make the most of the achievement.

Even FYROM Prime Minister Nikola Gruevski sat up and took notice.

Once the champagne had dried in the streets after the 87-75 triumph over Estonia on September 20, a win that sealed first place in qualifying Group B and gave FYROM a ticket to next year’s Final Round, Gruevski invited the team to his office.

“Macedonia thanks you for the joy that you gave us,” Gruevski said proudly.

“We will not stop here,” 35-year-old Macedonia captain Vrbica Stefanov said.

“We will go to Poland to represent our country, to show our personality, to give another dimension to the basketball world.”

The Basketball Federation of FYR Macedonia, which has received pledges of support from the government and the state agency for youth and sports, is now hard at work on ‘Project Poland’.

“This is a mega project for us,” said Daniel Dimevski, the president of the basketball federation, before adding, “I hope that the entire nation enjoyed this achievement and this success, one of the greatest in our independent history. We will show that our place is with the best of Europe.”

The mood is an excellent one now for all of the Macedonia players.

“We will all start the new season in our teams with pleasure, and with the greatest desire to show our best at the EuroBasket next year,” Stefanov said.

“All of us being part of this event will give our maximum to represent our country in the best way possible.”

Branko Cupeski
FIBA