FIBA - Profile of 2014 FIBA Basketball World Cup wild card candidate: Israel

MIES (FIBA Basketball World Cup) - On 1 February 2014, FIBA's Central Board will announce the national teams that will be the recipients of the four wild cards to complete the field at the 2014 FIBA Basketball World Cup.

Fifteen national teams from across four FIBA zones submitted their applications for the wild cards. They all participated in their respective 2013 continental championships which are qualifying tournament for FIBA's flagship event in Spain next year (30 August-14 September 2014).

The 15 candidates are: Bosnia and Herzegovina, Brazil, Canada, China, Finland, Germany, Greece, Israel, Italy, Nigeria, Poland, Qatar, Russia, Turkey and Venezuela.

In the lead-up to the decision on 1 February, we will profile all 15 applicants.

Today we look at Israel (ISR).

Recent history in international competitions: Israel started EuroBasket 2013 with an overtime loss to Great Britain, following that up with defeats against Ukraine and France. The Israelis booked their first win of the tournament against Belgium but then lost their final contest against Germany for an early exit from Slovenia, having finished with a 1-4 record. Israel have played at the last 11 European Championships with their lone Quarter-Final showing coming in 2003, when they came in seventh. Israel did take second place at the 1979 European Championship in one of the biggest moments in the country's basketball history. The Israelis have appeared in two FIBA flagship event, the 1954 and 1986 editions of the FIBA World Championship, when they finished eighth and seventh respectively. Their only Olympic participation was in 1952.

Dani Haloutz, President of the Israel Basketball Association (IBA), took time to state the case on his country's behalf to be given a wild card.

FIBA: What are the three main reasons why Israel deserves to receive a wild card to participate in the 2014 FIBA World Cup?
Haloutz: 1. Israel is one of the few countries in Europe and maybe in the world, where basketball is the leading sport in terms of registered players, teams, and especially international achievements. On the international level, Israel has a long tradition of achievements. The Israeli national team has participated regularly in the European Championship since the 1950s and in fact since our first participation we have only missed two tournaments and won the silver medal at the European Championship in 1979. Israel's youth teams have, over the years, made some significant achievements in all age groups and we have won three medals: two by the youth team and one by the U16 team (Cadets). Team level: Israeli teams have recorded some impressive achievements in various European tournaments over the years such as Maccabi Tel Aviv and Hapoel Jerusalem. 2. As the Israel Basketball Association, we feel that even a small country can participate in the 2014 FIBA Basketball World Cup. If the wild card indeed goes to Israel, small countries such as Israel will realise that they also have an equal chance to be accepted, and not only large and wealthy countries. 3. Israeli basketball is experiencing a tremendous upward momentum and we are certain that the wild card will help us maintain it. In recent years, there has been a huge increase in the number of players, male and female, who are registered in the IBA. Budgets are growing and the youth departments, including the Association's Excellence Academy, are flourishing.

FIBA: If given a wild card, how competitive can we expect Israel to be and how confident are you that the team will feature all its leading/best players?
Haloutz: Israeli basketball is making great advances. For the first time in history, Israel has two NBA players. The Super League in Israel is having one of its best seasons in its history. Thanks to the decision to limit the number of foreign players on each team, the Israeli players are thriving. Israel seldom has a problem of players not wanting to join the national team when it takes part in tournaments and there would be no problem at all if we were to receive a wild card for the 2014 FIBA Basketball World Cup. We believe that the team's veteran players, along with quite a few young players who will be given their chance to play, will make up a strong team which can compete against any team at Spain 2014 on an equal basis, and even show some significant achievements.

FIBA: How will having your national team play at the 2014 FIBA Basketball world Cup help the growth, development and popularity of the sport in your country?
Haloutz: We have no doubt that participation in the 2014 FIBA Basketball World Cup, after many years of absence, will propel Israeli basketball to new heights. One of our tasks at the IBA is to recruit new sponsors for basketball and clearly participation in this global level tournament will help attract the sponsorship of large financial bodies for the benefit of this sport. Also, there is no doubt that with the huge leverage this participation will provide, government bodies and other agencies will also significantly increase their investment in basketball, thus increasing even further the advancement of this sport. Basketball is indeed the number one team representation sport in Israel and the only sport that regularly participates in European Championships. Yet we know that participation in the FIBA Basketball World Cup will officially confirm this and will greatly assist us in our negotiations with Israel's Sports Authorities and with our 'competition' against other Israeli sports branches over budget allocations.

FIBA: What do you consider as the greatest moment in your country's basketball history?
Haloutz: Obviously the peak achievement of Israeli basketball is the second place at the 1979 European Championship in Italy. The Israeli team arrived there without any real expectations but managed to win its first game against Poland. In the second game, the team lost to France and went on to a 'life-or-death' game against the great Yugoslavia, which we won 77-76. In the first game of the second stage, the team lost to Italy but then came two dramatic victories over Spain and Czechoslovakia. Israel completed its Semi-Final games ranked in second place in its group, and went on to the Final against the Soviet Union, which we lost but still made basketball history. Keep in mind that in 1979, Israel only had a population of 3.5 million citizens. Since then, Israel has failed to repeat this achievement, but it has won two more silver medals in the youth European Championships and one bronze medal in the U16 European Championship.

Key facts and figures and additional information about basketball in Israel:
• The IBA is the largest sports association in Israel with: 30,000 active players (about 25,000 men and 5,000 women).
• The number of active women players registered in the IBA is greater than the total number of women players in all the other types of ball game in Israel put together.
• Basketball games are played all over Israel, north to south, from little league up to adult leagues, men and women, both professionals and amateurs.
• The IBA includes eight national teams, four men and four women, and operates nine basketball centres all over the country to find young talent and an academy for outstanding young players.

FIBA