The Euroleague announced that the City of Belgrade Junior Tournament is the second U18 club tournament that has been elected to be part of the qualifying tour for the Final Four Nike International Junior Tournament.
In an official press release from this Friday, this choice has been announced and so I was wrong by thinking that the Rho Tournament could be the second tournament to be chosen. This season’s “Nike International Junior Classification Tournament Belgrade” will be held from March 28 to 30, 2008, and all participating teams represent either Euroleague clubs – Fenerbahce Ulker Istanbul, Montepaschi Siena, Union Olimpija Ljubljana, Partizan Igokea Belgrade, Prokom Trefl Sopot and Lietuvos Rytas – or ULEB Cup teams – FMP, Red Star, KK Bosna, Benetton Basket Tamoil, BC Khimki Moscow Region and BC Hemofarm Stada.
The dates are in my opinion not very good because the Albert-Schweitzer Tournament is during the same weekend. This explains also the non-participation of Serbia to this year’s edition of the AST as all their NT players are involved with their respective club teams in Belgrade. It is a pity that both tournaments will be played on the same dates but the tight European calendar probably does not give more possibilities to the organizers.
All in all, the first two places in Belgrade will be qualifying spots for the Madrid event in May. As FMP won already the Hospitalet event, and they will also be considered as favorites in Belgrade, it is imaginable that the third place could be qualifying too.
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