New Kosovo coach formalised in December

Kosovo basketball every day and more is marking promotions, both from quality and from the presentation of national teams into the European and world arena.

Elvira Dushku, general secretary in the Kosovo Basketball Federation, in an interview for Kosovo Press, has spoken of meetings held by this federation with interest groups saying they wanted to report about forming the FBK initiative for forming the national basketball centre, because they are all basketball people.

The FBK “Bord, that is, at the initiative of the FBK chairman, has decided to hold meetings with interest groups in the service of collecting information different from these persons that have made up interest groups in connection with the formation of Kosovo's national basketball centre. The first meeting was with the media, then the second meeting was with veterans, then was with trainers and also clubs, as well as with the Kosovo basketball coach association. All these meetings have been very welcome, but at the same time we have received their opinions and each of them has been willing to contribute differently”, Dushku said.

Dushku added that the board of this federation will continue to work even more for the benefit of this sport. She confirmed that in September the national centre in men's competition would begin, while in November the women's. “We will continue to work that this is in the best basketball, then in November, everything will be concreteised and in early January will start with the start of implementation of the basketball centre -- that's the project, starting with basketball players in this case in men's competitiveness, while in September we will start even with the competition of women”, she said.

As for the first group of qualifications where Kosovo is located, Dushku said there is hope that our young people will achieve good results, and qualify away. As for the coach's case, she confirmed that in December The FBK, will come up with the name of the coach who will lead Kosovo at these pre-qualify meetings. And we know about Luxembourg what team we're facing, at the same time we know Slovakia because this summer we've had two friendly matches with this national. Iceland is a innovation and Iceland is a very strong team and it's inappropriate for the national of Kosovo, but we've only started waiting for the group and we're counting on the coach. So we're in talks with some trainers, to profile it and bring it to work in Kosovo. We have our first fight as local on February 20th, so in Kosovo, and then we play with Luxembourg, so if we cross this first obstacle with Iceland, if we manage to win here with the help of our fans, then I am confident that even with Luxembourg”, she said.

Kosovo has already decided where it will play the games as domestic. According to Dushku, they can be played in two cities -- the Pristina and Rahovec -- but the priority of the FBK is for the matches to be played in Kosovo's capital. We need to sign up for pre-qualification, so we had to sign up and we had to show two to three gyms. We showed these two gyms. Pristina is a priority and the second option is in Rahovec. Kosovo's representative director Granit Rugova is doing a very good job, contacting some players who in the past have played with other representatives and we are hoping that we will manage to bring one to two names in February so that they are players who in the near future carry the key burden to Kosovo representative”, she said.

Kosovo's first match of these pre-qualifications will take place at home, to Iceland at home on February 20, 2020, until it faces Luxembourg on the trip on 23rd, with two victories in these first two matches Kosovo would raise many prospects for qualifications in the next round. It is now known that the board of the Kosovo Basketball Federation has named the coach of new representatives, where U20 Kosovo's selection in male competition has been named Mark Rodiqi, while Kosovo's U18 among men will be Bekim Maxhuni, while Drita Drita has been appointed Kosovo's selection to men.