EuroBasket 2013 Presented In London

Germany, May 11, 2013: The EuroBasket 2013 Local Organising Committee (LOC) expressed confidence that they are ready to deliver a top notch event, during a press conference at London’s O2 Arena, the venue of the Euroleague Final Four, Saturday. The press conference was part of a cross-promotion activity plan between FIBA Europe and Euroleague Basketball.

FIBA Europe Secretary General, Kamil Novak who also attended the press call said: “We follow all preparations, our staff is working closely with the LOC and we are confident that we will be able to watch a very good tournament in a country where people are infected with the virus of basketball and the whole country understands the sport really well.”

LOC Director Ales Kriznar reiterated that Slovenia is on track with its preparations, including renovations of all EuroBasket venues while he also announced that the First Round tickets will go on sale on 1 July. Kriznar said that tickets for the last rounds of the tournament are almost sold out and that for the first time ever tickets are available for single games and not as sessions.

EuroBasket 2013 Ambassador Peter Vilfan commented that “Slovenia’s small size is actually a good thing. Because of the proximity for the first time in history you can watch games in three different cities in one day.”

Vesna Zarkovic, the Slovenia Government Communication Office representative, added that Slovenians are known for being passionate about their sport and the EuroBasket is a great opportunity to prove that.

Questioned about whether the current economic crisis could upset EuroBasket off the court Zarkovic answered that the Slovenian government has considered this question already before and there is confidence that the Championship will not be affected by it and that in fact, the event is expected to push the economy.

Petra Stusek, the representative of Ljubljana Municipality’s tourist authority informed the attending media that Ljubljana is more than ready to welcome visiting fans and as part of its readiness, the Municipality has agreed with the restaurants and bars in the city that they will remain open longer during the championship, something that is expected to be appreciated by the visiting fans.