SRB - Vujanic ready for Serbia national team duty if selected

BELGRADE (EuroBasket 2007) – Recently crowned Euroleague champion Milos Vujanic of Panathinaikos has given Serbia a shot in the arm ahead of the EuroBasket by firmly declaring his willingness to play no matter who is the coach.

National team boss Dragan Sakota has yet to be confirmed as coach for this summer’s tournament in Spain following recent presidential elections in the federation.

Vujanic, a member of the country’s gold medal winning side at the 2002 FIBA World Championship in Indianapolis, has been sidelined with knee injuries the past two summers but is desperate to return to the fold. He had a season-high 12 points in Panathinaikos' 93-91 title-clinching triumph over CSKA Moscow on May 6.

"I was always available for my national team when I was ready,” Vujanic said in the Press daily newspaper.

“I've missed competitions just because of my injuries. Now, I'm ready, and I'm looking forward to once again being in the squad that represents my homeland.

"Of course, it is necessary to be first called for the national team, but, as far as I am concerned, there's no way I'm going to miss the European Championship this year."

There has been a great deal of negativity surrounding the national side ever since it failed to advance to the knockout stage of the Athens Olympics in 2004.

Serbia & Montenegro hosted EuroBasket 2005, but failed to even reach Belgrade for the knockout stage there after losing to France in the elimination round.

Zeljko Obradovic, Vujanic’s boss at Panathinaikos, was so disenchanted after that setback, he announced he would never coach the national team again.

The expert council of the basketball federation wanted Svetislav Pesic to reclaim the reins, but the coach of the successful team in Indianapolis wanted to focus on club basketball and is currently at the helm of EuroCup champions Akasvayu Girona in Spain.

Sakota, an assistant to Obradovic, agreed to coach and led the team into the last 16 at the World Championship in Japan but his position has been in question in recent months.

Darko Milicic, the team’s Orlando Magic center, committed to playing under Sakota this week and now Vujanic, a 2002 NBA draft pick, has done the same.

"I know there is a lot of talk on that subject these days, but I'm not interested in such things. I don't care,” Vujanic said. “Whoever coaches us there (in Spain), I'll do my best to be there, and all of us will have the same goal at the EuroBasket."

Vujanic does believe the Blues can be successful again..

"I hope we can bring some good news from there,” he said. “In fact, I'm convinced that better days are coming for Serbian basketball and that we'll start to get medals once again".

Serbia are in Group A of the EuroBasket together with defending champions Greece, Russia and the team that wins the additional qualifying tournament.

Darko Nikolic, Belgrade
FIBA