Chasing childhood dream heals all pain, says Welsch

BELGRADE (2016 FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournaments) – In the first half of Czech Republic's 87-71 win over Japan that propelled the European team into the semi-finals of the FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament (OQT) in Belgrade, Czech captain Jiri Welsch dived heroically for a ball and landed on the Japanese bench.

It looked pretty painful but the 36-year-old guard shrugged it off and was back in the battle within seconds as if nothing had happened. Welsch, the record-holder for most international caps with the Czech Republic, told FIBA.com that he would not let some minor bruises get in the way of chasing history.

"I have watched the Olympics since I was a little kid and to me it's the biggest celebration of sport on the planet, not only of basketball." - Welsch

FIBA.com: How many spills like that have you taken since you debuted with the senior national team in 1999?
Welsch: Countless, really countless (he laughs). But that's part of what makes playing for the national team special. There is no money involved, everyone is here because we are proud to be here and we want to be here. This is the character of our team, this is how play, fighting for every ball, hassling and as the captain of the team I have to lead by example.

"Serbia is one of the best teams not only in Europe, also in the world, but in 40 minutes of basketball a lot can happen." - Welsch

FIBA.com: If Czech basketball earns on Saturday the ticket to its first ever Olympic Games, will you forget about all the pain these knocks caused you?
Welsch: (He laughs) Most definitely! It would be a dream come true because I have watched the Olympics since I was a little kid and to me it's the biggest celebration of sport on the planet, not only of basketball. To be a part of that would fulfil a dream I always had and we're now two games away from that.

FIBA.com: What do you have to do right as a team to get past the hosts and big favourites, Serbia, in Friday's semi-final? What vulnerabilities do they have?
Welsch: Serbia always have teams with great talent, they have some of the best technically skilled players and they go out on the court with this Serbian pride and confidence. That's what makes them one of the best teams not only in Europe but also in the world. They will obviously be cheered on by many fans and we have to do our best. We are not the favourites in this game, but in 40 minutes of basketball a lot can happen. If we're going to get to Rio we have to beat the best, and the best is Serbia.

FIBA.com: Would beating Serbia at their home make be among the biggest accomplishments of your 17-year-long international career?
Welsch: I remember back at FIBA EuroBasket 1999 we beat a very strong Lithuanian team and a strong Greek team. Those were great victories and I still cherish these memories. If this was going to happen on Friday it would be the same. We're again going to be the underdogs, we have to play hard and surprised them. It would be a big achievement, but even if we beat them we would still have one more game to go.