FIBA Basketball
SCG - World glory not top of Sakota's agenda
BELGRADE (FIBA World Championship) - They may be the two-time defending champions, but Serbia and Montenegro are not prioritising a repeat gold medal at the FIBA World Championship this summer.Several months after their elimination round defeat on home soil against France at EuroBasket 2005, newly-installed coach Dragan Sakota has stressed he wants to build a new, younger team with one eye on the Olympic Games in Beijing in 2008.
BELGRADE (FIBA World Championship) - They may be the two-time defending champions, but Serbia and Montenegro are not prioritising a repeat gold medal at the FIBA World Championship this summer.
Several months after their elimination round defeat on home soil against France at EuroBasket 2005, newly-installed coach Dragan Sakota has stressed he wants
to build a new, younger team with one eye on the Olympic Games in Beijing in 2008.
"In Japan, and a year later at the European championship in Spain, our goal will be to build a squad capable of qualifying for the Olympics," Sakota said.
"I have had talks with members of the expert council of our basketball association, and we've all agreed that Serbia and Montenegro must go through a rejuvenation of the team.
"It's a necessity if we are to bring back the great atmosphere among squad members we've been so proud of in the past."
The Serbo-Montenegrin coach, who returned to his homeland to coach Red Star Belgrade this year - collecting the national cup of Radivoje Korac in his first season - plans to call up a number of players from the domestic league.
"I have an outline in mind for our squad at the FIBA World Championship, but I still don't know when I will announce the list," he said.
"At the moment, I can just say that I will call many more players from our domestic competition than has been the case in the past.
"At the same time, I'll announce the coaching staff that will help me in my task to build a young and ambitious team.
"That team will not travel to Japan with any great pressure on them, as results are not our primary goal at the moment.
"We're at the beginning of a new era, at the beginning of creating a new national team which will be the basis for future successes."
Former captain Dejan Bodiroga has already retired from the national team, and the future participation of other leading players looks to be in serious doubt.
Real Madrid shooting guard Igor Rakocevic has spoken of his hope to be included but could be set to miss out.
Peja Stojakovic of the Indiana Pacers hasn't been available to join up with the squad the past two summers and, despite his All-Star status in the NBA, he,
too, must be considered doubtful along with Los Angeles Clippers sharpshooter Vladimir Radmanovic.
Sakota will call together candidates for the Blues squad in Belgrade on July 2, before taking his team to Bormio to play in a warm-up tournament against Italy,
Greece and Canada. They will also play warm-up games in Valencia.
"In Bormio, we won't care too much about the results, as these will be the first games of the new squad. But, in Valencia, where we'll face Puerto Rico and China, we'll play like it is an important competition."
Serbia and Montenegro's FIBA World Championship campaign will get underway against Nigeria on August 19 before games against France, Libya, Venezuela
and Argentina, runners-up at the last Championship in Indianapolis four years ago.
From Darko Nikolic, PA Sport, Belgrade
Several months after their elimination round defeat on home soil against France at EuroBasket 2005, newly-installed coach Dragan Sakota has stressed he wants
to build a new, younger team with one eye on the Olympic Games in Beijing in 2008.
"In Japan, and a year later at the European championship in Spain, our goal will be to build a squad capable of qualifying for the Olympics," Sakota said.
"I have had talks with members of the expert council of our basketball association, and we've all agreed that Serbia and Montenegro must go through a rejuvenation of the team.
"It's a necessity if we are to bring back the great atmosphere among squad members we've been so proud of in the past."
The Serbo-Montenegrin coach, who returned to his homeland to coach Red Star Belgrade this year - collecting the national cup of Radivoje Korac in his first season - plans to call up a number of players from the domestic league.
"I have an outline in mind for our squad at the FIBA World Championship, but I still don't know when I will announce the list," he said.
"At the moment, I can just say that I will call many more players from our domestic competition than has been the case in the past.
"At the same time, I'll announce the coaching staff that will help me in my task to build a young and ambitious team.
"That team will not travel to Japan with any great pressure on them, as results are not our primary goal at the moment.
"We're at the beginning of a new era, at the beginning of creating a new national team which will be the basis for future successes."
Former captain Dejan Bodiroga has already retired from the national team, and the future participation of other leading players looks to be in serious doubt.
Real Madrid shooting guard Igor Rakocevic has spoken of his hope to be included but could be set to miss out.
Peja Stojakovic of the Indiana Pacers hasn't been available to join up with the squad the past two summers and, despite his All-Star status in the NBA, he,
too, must be considered doubtful along with Los Angeles Clippers sharpshooter Vladimir Radmanovic.
Sakota will call together candidates for the Blues squad in Belgrade on July 2, before taking his team to Bormio to play in a warm-up tournament against Italy,
Greece and Canada. They will also play warm-up games in Valencia.
"In Bormio, we won't care too much about the results, as these will be the first games of the new squad. But, in Valencia, where we'll face Puerto Rico and China, we'll play like it is an important competition."
Serbia and Montenegro's FIBA World Championship campaign will get underway against Nigeria on August 19 before games against France, Libya, Venezuela
and Argentina, runners-up at the last Championship in Indianapolis four years ago.
From Darko Nikolic, PA Sport, Belgrade