Veteran Blums spearheads Latvia challenge against Turkey, Sweden
RIGA (FIBA Basketball World Cup 2019 European Qualifiers) - Latvia will have five of their 12 players from FIBA EuroBasket 2017 in the team that opens its World Cup Qualifiers campaign at Turkey on Friday.
RIGA (FIBA Basketball World Cup 2019 European Qualifiers) - Latvia will have five of their 12 players from FIBA EuroBasket 2017 in the squad that opens its World Cup Qualifiers campaign at Turkey on Friday night.
| Latvia 14-player squad for World Cup Qualifiers against Turkey and Sweden | |||
| Arturs Ausejs | Janis Blums | Rolands Freimanis | Andrejs Grazulis |
| Ilja Gromovs | Ingus Jakovics | Haralds Karlis | Rodions Kurucs |
| Mareks Mejeris | Andzejs Pasechniks | Zanis Peiners | Ojars Silins |
| Aigars Skele | Rolands Smits | ||
Among them will be long-time national team star Janis Blums, who performed exceptionally well in September when the same two sides squared off in the Group Phase of the EuroBasket.
Blums was 5 of 8 from 3-point range and scored 17 points in the 89-79 Latvia win.
Other members of the EuroBasket team headed to Bursa, which is south of Istanbul and near the Sea of Marmara, are Aigars Skele, Andres Grazulis, Rolands Smits and Zanis Peinars.
After the game in Turkey, Latvia will return home to take on Sweden, which had to go through the Pre-Qualifiers.
That game will be on Sunday at the Arena Riga.
FIBA