basketball
“Historic night”: DBB women take part in the Olympics for the first time
The national coach of the German basketball players: Lisa Thomaidis. photo
© Marx Vasconcelos/dpa
The German basketball players pull off a big surprise. They are taking part in the Olympics for the first time. The national coach is thrilled. The star defies great pain.
After the “historic night” in Belém, the German basketball players danced exuberantly across the parquet, then proudly posed behind an oversized boarding pass for a group photo. With an impressive team and energy performance, the team led by WNBA star Satou Sabally qualified for the Olympic Games for the first time. “It’s a historic night that this team deserves,” said national coach Lisa Thomaidis.
Men and women taking part in the Olympics for the first time
This is the first time that both the men and women of the German Basketball Association will be taking part in the Olympics. Dennis Schröder and Co. had already secured their ticket to Paris last summer by winning the World Cup title. The preliminary round games will be played in Lille from July 27th, and the final round will then take place in Paris. The draw is scheduled for mid-March.
Just a few years ago, German women’s basketball was only living in the shadows; the DBB selection was at best second-rate internationally. But then the association launched an offensive in the female sector and was rewarded with a ticket to Paris earlier than expected. “Our plan worked completely. I am a very happy president,” said DBB boss Ingo Weiss to the German Press Agency. “The girls did an outstanding job. Commitment, team spirit and fight – these are the virtues you want to see in a German team.”
Star player Satou Sabally in particular pushed her physical limits during the Brazil days. The 25-year-old from the Dallas Wings played in the decisive match with a shoulder injury and in the end could hardly throw with her left hand. She kept holding her arm, but that didn’t stop Sabally from posting a double-double with 20 points and eleven rebounds and becoming the decisive player in the dramatic final phase. “See you soon in Paris AAAAAAH,” Sabally wrote on social media.
Brunckhorst: “It’s simply a dream for us”
“You can only take your hat off to that. That shows how much Satou and everyone else really wanted to go to the Olympics,” said Weiss about the impressive performance of Sabally, who only returned to the national team in November after a few years off. Together with her sister Nyara, Leonie Fiebich, Marie Gülich and Svenja Brunckhorst, she formed the skeleton of the German team.
“I’m just speechless. We overcame so many hurdles before and during the tournament and never let ourselves get discouraged,” said Brunckhorst, who can also qualify for Paris in the 3×3 competition. “For us, this is simply a dream that is now becoming reality. I am incredibly proud.”
The German basketball players are facing exciting times. The Olympics this summer, the European Championships next year with a preliminary round in Hamburg and then the home World Cup in Berlin in 2026. “These will be great events,” exulted Weiss.