Israel Basketball Coach Urges Star Players to Take Responsibility After Heavy World Cup Qualifiers Loss
The Israeli national basketball team concluded the first round of World Cup qualifiers with a heavy 103-75 defeat against Croatia on Monday. Israel finished the round with a 4-2 record, advancing to the second group stage where they will face Poland (0-6), Latvia (3-3), and the Netherlands (4-2). Germany and Croatia also advanced, with only the top three teams qualifying for the World Cup, leaving Israel's chances slim.
Coach Ariel Beit Halachmi described the loss as tough and acknowledged the team's poor performance in size, rebounds, and shooting percentages, conceding that Croatia controlled the game. Despite the bleak outlook, he emphasized the importance of not giving up.
Addressing the absence of several key players, Beit Halachmi expressed hope that the top players would join the team in the next window. He stressed that all players are needed for Israeli basketball and called on them to take responsibility, labeling the loss as unpleasant and inappropriate for the national team.
The team now faces a challenging path to qualify for the World Cup, needing to improve performance and player commitment in upcoming matches.
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