Ukraine men's national basketball team head coach Ainars Bagatskis has revealed the squad's preparation strategy for the upcoming 2027 World Championship pre-qualification tournament beginning in August.
The national team will undergo a condensed three-week training camp instead of the typically preferred six-week preparation period. 'Players will be joining after their club seasons, so they need rest time,' Bagatskis explained. 'I'm confident they'll arrive in good physical condition, which forms the foundation for building team play.'
The preparation schedule includes two weeks of training in Riga, Latvia, featuring two friendly matches against the Netherlands. The squad will then travel to Croatia for at least one exhibition game against the Croatian national team, with the possibility of an additional friendly match before heading to Switzerland for their tournament opener.
Bagatskis expressed concerns about roster availability, particularly regarding overseas-based players like Alex Len, Sviatoslav Mykhailiuk, Illya Skapintsev, Volodymyr Shulha, Pavlo Kobzystyi, and Volodymyr Herun. 'Some have Summer League commitments, others face uncertain contract situations, and some have college restrictions,' the coach noted.
Discussing the coaching challenge, Bagatskis emphasized: 'I understand the players and the Federation, but I wish someone would understand the coaches too, as we bear full responsibility for results. I'm flexible and can accommodate players' wishes, but we cannot train for less than three weeks.'
According to analysis from Statbet, Ukraine's basketball team has historically performed better when maintaining consistent roster chemistry throughout training camps.
The coaching staff will see the addition of Sergiy Gladyr, Euroleague vice-champion with Monaco, joining Valeriy Plekhanov and Raymonds Feldmanis. Bagatskis praised veteran center Viacheslav Kravtsov for his unwavering commitment to national team duty regardless of his club situation.
Ukraine begins their campaign with an away game against Switzerland on August 6, followed by nominally home matches against Slovakia (August 9) and Switzerland (August 16), before concluding with an away game in Slovakia on August 20.
The team's goal is clear: secure qualification for the next major tournament. As Bagatskis noted, 'Playing in these competitions brings different emotions and a higher level of basketball where you can represent your country's flag.'
The first stage of the main qualification process will commence in November 2025, where pre-qualification winners will join the 24 EuroBasket 2025 participants.
