Russia's coach Sergey Bazarevich and team captain Andrey Vorontsevich emphasized their excitement to compete for a ticket that leads to Tokyo Olympic Games.
Russia is playing Germany on the 1st of July in their Pre-Olympic opener, hosted in Split, Croatia.
"We are excited to be here. The Olympics is a goal for every athlete. We're missing many players. We have some players with experience; we will fight," Bazarevich said in the opening press conference.
Andrey Vorontsevich
Team: |
Nizhny Novgorod |
Position: | PF |
Age: | 33 |
Height: | 207 cm |
Weight: | 107 kg |
Birth place: | Russian Federation |
Asked about the role of the underdog ascribed to Russia, the experienced coach replied: "I don't know if this is our chance for an upset. We're here, focusing on ourselves. Everyone has a chance. It's a tough and short tournament. With Covid-19, it's a bit of a lottery, in which we participate and have the same chances as everyone else."
From his part, team captain Andrey Vorontsevich said: "All the guys are excited to be here, be part of the NT. The arena and the atmosphere around the tournament are great. We'll try to stay together. I know the players of Nizhny that are on the NT. They are high-level, talented and motivated."