DOHA (Qatar) - Luigi Datome still has a burning desire to see Italy make it to the podium at the FIBA Basketball World Cup, despite his retirement as a player after the country's Quarter-Final appearance in Manila in 2023.
One of Italy's biggest and brightest stars over the past two decades, Datome also featured for his national team at the 2019 World Cup in China.
"That's my dream," he said at last week's draw in Qatar. "I didn't have the opportunity to do it as a player. Now it's my dream, it makes me still want to be involved with basketball, with the federation, to help the team in another way, to bring success to Italy."
Datome works for the Federazione Italiana Pallacanestro (FIP), the Italian basketball federation, as the head of delegation for the national team. He attended the World Cup Qualifiers draw in Doha last week.
"We see the opponents on the world stage or the Euro stage are very tough to play against, but you always need a dream to follow in order to have a purpose in your life so this is our dream and hopefully sooner or later, we'll achieve it," he said.
Not since the 2004 Olympics have Italy had a top-three finish. They reached the Gold Medal Game that summer in Athens and have been trying to get a medal ever since.
Pretty tough draw. Everybody in Italy is going to be mad at me. All the games are going to be difficult, but I trust my team a lot.
Italy first have to qualify for Qatar. Two of their known opponents in the European Qualifiers are traditional heavyweights Lithuania and a dangerous Iceland team.
"Pretty tough (draw)," Datome said. "Everybody (in Italy) is going to be mad at me, that I didn't bring much luck to the team. It's a long time until the window. Let's see what type of shape we will be in, which players are going to be available, which players are going to be available for the other teams. All the games are going to be difficult but I trust my team a lot."
Lithuania reached the World Cup podium in 2010. They defeated Italy in Quarter-Finals at EuroBaskets 2013 and 2015 en route to runners-up finishes. The teams did meet in the European Qualifiers for the 2019 World Cup and split the two encounters.
Iceland have been steadily climbing the FIBA World Ranking the past several years and are now No. 26. They will be awkward opponents, especially after splitting their two encounters with Italy in the EuroBasket 2025 Qualifiers.
"All the teams are difficult," Datome said. "We beat them easily in Iceland and lost to them three days after at home, so these are the windows. Very unpredictable, fun to watch maybe less to play, to be a part of (smiles). It's going to be interesting."
Nenad Krstic, who like Datome played in the NBA and also logged many minutes in the national team jersey, including at the 2010 and 2014 World Cups, says the draw was a hard one for Serbia.
They will take on Greece, Turkïye and Bosnia and Herzegovina.
We have a tough group, but we are used to this.
"We have really tough opponents, we will see," he said. "It depends on the team we're going to have. We have a tough group, but we are used to this.
"We have some experience. Before Manila, we had tough games against Greece and Türkiye (in the European Qualifiers), and they were amazing games, but we qualified.
"Bosnia, Turkïye also, it's going to be very interesting. We were looking forward to a better draw, but we'll see."
Viktor Sanikidze, meanwhile, was a huge star for Georgia's national team when they made it to the EuroBasket for the first time in 2011 and he also played in the teams that competed at EuroBaskets 2013 and 2015. Now he is president of the Georgia Basketball National Federation.
Sanikidze was elated when when Georgia made it to the 2023 World Cup and competed in the big event.
"It was the first time ever we made it last time, it was huge for our country," he said. "That's why we are here. We have even more responsibilities. People are getting used to seeing us at the EuroBasket and now the World Cup. So I think other delegations now see Georgia as one of the candidates to make it to the end."
Spain will compete at EuroBasket 2025 as defending champions and they have twice won the World Cup, in 2006 and 2019.
Everyone knows Georgia is a tough opponent.
"We had Spain the last Qualifiers as well and we beat them at home," he said. "We have experience of beating Spain, ok, they're experiencing a new generation but Spanish basketball is one of the best in Europe, one of the best in the world actually. But everyone knows Georgia is a tough opponent."
The Qualifiers will be a big test for Georgia, who now have veteran coach Aleksandar Dzikic at the helm. He coached the team at the FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament in Latvia last summer.
"We love him," Sanikidze said. "And people in Georgia like him and most important of all, the players like him and appreciate his job.
"He's not an easy guy as we know (laughs). What can I say? The whole world knows he's a tough guy. He's very different to (former Georgia coaches) Ilias Zouros or Igor Kokoskov. He's totally different. But as soon as you understand him, it works.
"When he sees the young talent, that is going to be the future of the national team, he doesn't allow them to relax so they always have to be hungry. That's what he's best at."
Overall, Sanikidze says it'll be challenging but fun.
"We are super proud again," he said. "Even though we have a new coach, the generations are changing, we are still hoping to be there. It's a huge thing for a small country like Georgia."
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