Dejan Prokic, the World Basketball draw has been made for a couple of days. What do you consider the Ivory Coast group?
Dejan Prokic: Côte d’Ivoire ought to be proud. It is an accomplishment to be at this World Cup. All nations play basketball however not everybody reaches these type of huge competitions. Whenever you play Spain, it means you might be enjoying in opposition to the perfect. Enjoying in opposition to Spain permits you to know your true degree. From there, you already know what you might want to appropriate, what you might want to enhance to proceed to be a part of the world elite. It is the identical for Brazil which has nice internationals. I can quote you Huertas, Barbasa.
They’ve a giant footprint on world basketball. They beat the USA to be there though some say they weren’t the perfect American group round. It will likely be troublesome to play them. I can not say the identical for Iran however they performed plenty of huge tournaments. They’ve an ideal championship with good gamers. It will likely be a troublesome event for us however very thrilling.
What might be your purpose at this event?
We have to have environment friendly preparation earlier than speaking about targets. The Ivorian Basketball Federation hopes that we qualify for the Olympics. Meaning we’ve got to be among the many greatest on this event. However the very first thing to do is to place ourselves within the situations to be prepared. Now we have to coach onerous. Being mentally and bodily prepared will already give us an opportunity to not be ridiculous as a result of we’re going to a banquet of the perfect.
You took the group when it was virtually certified…
(He cuts) After I arrived through the penultimate qualifying window, we had been off to an excellent begin however not but certified. I certified the group for this World Cup after victories over direct rivals similar to Nigeria, Uganda and Cape Verde. Dealing with Uganda, we had been even led and manhandled earlier than turning the tide. They had been my first video games as head coach of the Elephants. However instantly there was an alchemy with the group. We performed very excessive degree basketball to get this qualification.
Dejan Prokic: “When every thing is OK with Mo Bamba, we’ll discuss it”
Exactly this group is now not the identical right this moment with many executives who refuse to return when there are gatherings. How do you reside with all of this?
We’re all professionals. I concentrate on the gamers I’ve accessible. When we have to have a bunch, we choose the perfect. And I can assure you that the perfect of the second, those that need to moist the jersey and make the Ivorians proud might be at this World Cup.
Côte d’Ivoire will go to the World Cup with new faces. Which names are already checked off your record?
Are you positive that we are going to go to Indonesia with new gamers? So it could be good should you gave me your record in order that I might draw inspiration from it (Laughs) as a result of I have never made mine but. As I stated above, we’ll go together with Conquering Elephants. Afterwards, it’s important to know that on the native degree and even exterior, there are unbelievable skills. We take a better have a look at all of those gamers. We are going to construct the perfect group potential.
Mo Bamba will definitely be the star of your collective, have you ever spoken to him nowadays?
Mo Bamba is nursing an harm in the intervening time. When every thing is happy with him, we’ll discuss it. For now, we favor to maintain every thing that considerations him silent. We are going to discuss it once more.
You come from a rustic that has an excellent status in sports activities, particularly basketball. How do you propose to inculcate this strict Serbian tradition in your gamers?
It’s best to already know that basketball will not be the king sport for me. There are disciplines like biking, snowboarding, handball and plenty of extra earlier than. Nonetheless, there are ample amenities for studying and for basketball competitions. Higher, the college system tremendously promotes the follow of sport at college and I consider that it rubs off on those that are within the center. Rigor goes hand in hand with professionalism. And my gamers already are. We simply need to preserve engaged on some particulars with them.
What do you count on from the Ivorians through the event?
Simply their assist. They carried us from the beginning and their fusion with the gamers was distinctive once we performed at dwelling in Abidjan. We should proceed on this route as a result of feeling that we’re supported will at all times be a further motivation.
— Ivorian Basketball Federation (FIBB) (@fibb_ci) April 29, 2023
By Sanh Severin
Supply: sportnewsafrica
