Tomorrow at 4:00 a.m. Georgian Cadet Team flies to Macedonia by Tbilisi-Istanbul-Skopje flight and it will compete at division B of European U-16 Championship which will be hosted by the city of Macedonia, Sturmica since July 28.
Gia Kazanjiani head coach of Georgian U-16 Team held the last training at “Dinamo” base located in Dighomi. There were found out players who will compete at qualifying round of European Championship. Those are the following:
Small forwards: Nugzar Abuladze(Zaza), Giorgi Dvali (Rustavi), Zezva Liluashvili(Academy), Tornike Kitoishvili (Rustavi);
Power forwards:Aleksandre Bolkvadze (Hyunday), Nika Tskitishvili (Academy), Beka Darakhvelidze (Academy), Saba Jakeli (Academy), Kakhaber Tomaradze (Hyunday), Nika Amirkhanashvili (Academy);
Centres:Ucha Gamrekelidze(Lokomotive Krasnodar, Russia), Archil Puluzashvili (Zaza).
Head coach:Gia Kazanjiani
Assistants:Irakli Tomaradze
Assistant:Dimitry Zhakobov
The rivals of Georgian National U-16 Team at division B of European Championship are the following countries: Russia, Macedonia, England, Romania and Luxembourg.

The schedule of Georgian National Team is the following:
July 28
Georgian team is resting
July 29
Georgia– Luxembourg 16:30
July 30
Georgia– England 16:00
July 31
Georgia– Macedonia 21:00
August 1
Georgia– Romania 21:00
It is offered an interview of Gia Kazanjiani to “World Sport” below.
- Are you satisfied with terms of preparation settled for National Team?
- Basketball federation made all necessary terms for us to prepare well for European Championship. The team was preparing at gym of “Basketball Academy”. Before leaving for Macedonia we had one-week meeting at “Dinamo” base. We had two-two sparring matches against Estonian and Finns National U-16 teams. We won one match and lost three ones. It would be fine if we won all the matches. But in any case I am satisfied with these matches because the players of our team got on well each other and they are more mobilized.
- Are you satisfied with the team’s preparation?
- I checked more than 30 players and I chose 12. Unfortunately, they are not as tall as it is necessary. We have only two players – Puluzashvili and Gamreklidze who are 2 meter tall.
-  What is your goal in Sturmica?
- Program minimum is winning the first-second places of the group.
- Which team do you consider as real rival in fight for the I-II places?
- Besides host Macedonia, England and Romania have also strong teams.

Roland Labuchidze