Verameyenka: "We desperately need this win against Korea"

NANTES (2016 FIBA Women's Olympic Qualifying Tournament) - Belarus are just one win away from returning to the Olympics for the first time since 2008. If they can beat Korea in the Fifth-Place Game of the 2016 FIBA Women's Olympic Qualifying Tournament (WOQT) on Sunday, they will secure the last ticket on offer for the Rio 2016 Games. 

Seven Belarus players who played in Beijing eight years ago, are currently in Nantes and looking to make their way to Rio.

Among them is Anastasiya Verameyenka who helped Belarus to a 2-4 mark at the 2008 Games.

Minutes after Belarus trounced Argentina 84-44, the 1.95m center explained to FIBA.com the significance of Sunday's game against Korea and discussed the prospect of returning to the Olympics.

Verameyenka finished with a game-high three blocked shots against Argentina

FIBA.com: Anastasiya, can you give us your thoughts about the game against Korea, and how significant it is for you as a team?
Verameyenka: It will be a hard game for us because we don't have much time to scout and prepare the game. It will be challenging for sure. We lost by one point the last time we played them. It's going to be hard, but we desperately need this win.

FIBA.com: Given the fact that you struggled to stop Korea in the Group Phase, how can you bounce back, and get that ticket to Rio?
Verameyenha: I don't know how we can stop them. It's up to our coach to prepare a good game plan, and we will be ready. Today [Saturday] we had an easy game [against Argentina], and we could rest a little bit.

[Reaching the Olympics] It’s something that we have been dreaming of for the past few months. - Verameyenka

FIBA.com: You and seven of your teammates played at the 2008 Beijing Olympics. How significant would it be for you to make it to the Olympics again?
Verameyenka: Everybody on our team would be really happy if we could punch the ticket to Rio. It’s something that we have been dreaming of for the past few months. Hopefully, we can do it on Sunday. I played at the Beijing Games, and it would be a major boost to my life and my career.

FIBA