MKD - Samardziski: Atmosphere back home is unbelievable

KAUNAS (EuroBasket) – With inspirational center Todor Gecevski out injured for an indefinite period, it is up to 25-year-old Predrag Samardziski to step up for F.Y.R. of Macedonia in his absence. Talking with FIBA, Samardziski shared what this tournament and a potential Olympic spot could mean for his country.
 
FIBA: What does Todor Gechevski mean to your team?
Samardziski: Gechevski is more than just a player on the court. He is an authority and the leader of the team. Now we are going to try and play it for him in the remainder of the games. If I am honest I am not entirely happy with how I have been playing here but now I just have to step up because I can not leave the team without a center.
 
FIBA: Did you expect to qualify for the final eight in second spot from your group and what does it mean to everybody back home?
Samardziski: Maybe not like second but we knew we had the quality to go to the Quarter Finals. I think they are ecstatic. The fans and atmosphere back home right now are unbelievable and we can feel it here. Every time we talk to our friends back home they tell us the atmosphere is unbelievable and they are watching every game.
 
FIBA: Is it true that no matter what happens for the rest of the tournament here you will be heroes back home?
Samardziski: I think yes, because this is the biggest achievement of any sporting team in Macedonia so I think we deserve to be heroes.
 
FIBA: Was playing for Macedonia always a goal for you?
Samardziski: Yes. The moment I started playing basketball and the moment I started taking it seriously I knew this is what I wanted. Even when my family moved to Serbia when I was 14 and they wanted me to play for their national team. But I grew up in Macedonia so it was never a question of what team I wanted to play for.

I knew Serbia are a good team but my thought were that if everybody who is any good in Macedonia starts playing for other countries than Macedonia we'll never be good so my thought and hope was that everybody would think like me. Luckily they did. Now we are seeing the fruits of our labor.
 
FIBA: Getting to this stage of the tournament also brings you one step closer to the Olympics. What would that mean for you and everyone back home?
Samardziski: We are trying not to think too much about it. So far we have been thinking step by step and that has been the key so far. We just need to keep going game by game and play it with our hearts. Coming into the tournament I think the quarterfinals were the goal.
 
My parents are proud of me whatever I do but it is going to make them even more proud maybe. Most of the season we watch the basketball in Belgrade because we moved there when I was younger but when I am playing for the National Team the family moves back to Skopje. When they watch the games all my friends and neighbors come to our apartment and it’s pretty loud in my neighborhood because I am probably the only athlete to come from there. So I know everybody is behind us and I’m thinking if we make the Olympics they are going to have to buy a bigger place!

FIBA