Great Britain’s women’s basketball head coach Damian Jennings admits next month’s EuroBasket will be a challenge but he insists it is met with excitement in equal measure.
Britain qualify for the EuroBasket, which begin in France on June 15 and run until the end of the month, off the back of hosting the London 2012 Olympic tournament last summer.
Nine of the 12 players who made history by representing Britain for the first time in a women’s Olympic tournament have been initially selected with Julie Page, Natalie Stafford and Jenaya Wade-Fray absent.
Page and Stafford have both retired while Wade-Fray is out injured with Jennings naming an initial squad of 20 which will be trimmed down to 12 for next month’s EuroBasket.
Britain have been drawn in Group C of the EuroBasket with hosts and Olympic silver medallists from London 2012 France as well as Serbia and Latvia
And Jennings, who was appointed head coach of the British team in March, is looking forward to the task of preparing his troops for the trip across the Channel to France.
“The EuroBasket creates a great test for us post Olympics and we have been able to select a real blend of experience and youthful talent,” said Jennings.
“With the early timing of EuroBasket there will always be challenges but all the GB performance staff are looking forward to working with the selected squad and preparing for this great summer ahead.”
© Sportsbeat 2013