basketball
Before Abu Dhabi games: DBB selection visits well-known mosque
Germany’s national coach Gordon Herbert is on the edge of the field. photo
© Daniel Reinhardt/dpa/archive image
There isn’t much free time left, but the German basketball players don’t miss the trip to the most famous mosque in Abu Dhabi. For Gordon Herbert it is a special undertaking.
Before the two friendlies in the Persian Gulf, the German basketball players are making a trip to the well-known Sheikh Zayed Mosque in Abu Dhabi. Late on Friday afternoon, the pros headed by national coach Gordon Herbert faced one of the biggest trips mosques worldwide.
“It’s cool to see a different culture and a different world. That’s one of the things I enjoy the most, that you can see the world and play basketball at the same time,” said Moritz Wagner of the German Press Agency Excursion before the World Cup friendlies against Greece on Saturday and the USA on Sunday (6 p.m. each time/Magentasport). Participation was voluntary for the professionals.
Head coach Herbert himself set a good example. “It’s a nice experience for us to be in a different culture,” said Herbert. With temperatures above 40 degrees, basketball players try to avoid the sun and outdoor spaces as much as possible. An exception was made for visiting the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque. “It’s interesting for me because I’ve never been to a mosque. It’s something different for all of us, a completely different experience,” commented Herbert.
All twelve professionals had previously completed the morning training at New York University in Abu Dhabi. “We have a few minor injuries, but nothing serious. Everyone is in very good basketball shape. Everyone can play,” said Herbert. After the second test, the national team will head towards Dubai Airport late on Sunday evening, from where the flight to Japan will take place at night. From August 25, Germany will then be challenged in the World Cup preliminary round in Okinawa. Group opponents are Japan, Australia and Finland.