A must-match against the Czech Republic awaits in the World Cup qualifiers.
Then, for the first time, Sweden has both Pelle Larsson and Bobi Klintman in the team.
– It is time for us to put Swedish basketball on the map, says Klintman.
The conditions are simple. Sweden needs to win against the Czech Republic for the World Cup qualification to live on. But the question is whether the Swedish men’s national basketball team has ever had a more talented squad than the one that steps out at Hovet on Friday night.
Ludvig Håkanson has been forced to withdraw due to injury, but for the first time Pelle Larsson, Bobi Klintman and Elliot Cadeau will play together.
In addition, Viktor Gaddefors, who considered quitting the national team, is back.
For Klintman, it will be his debut in the A national team.
– I’m really busy. I’ve been waiting a really long time. A lot of people have talked and I just want to come in and help win the game. It’s not about me, Pelle or Elliot. This is Swedish basketball and it’s time for us to put ourselves on the map, says the 23-year-old.
“Proved nothing”
The road to the WC is long. But the stars see the matches against the Czech Republic and Slovenia as the start of a new national team journey that they want to be part of.
– I think this is the start of a collaboration with many of these players. Hopefully we can maintain this foundation for a long period and then we will be able to be a team that people talk about differently, says Pelle Larsson.
Have you ever had a team this good before?
– I don’t know how good a team we have, because we haven’t played games yet. But I don’t know a team as hyped as this. It’s really only us in Sweden who say we have a good team. The others are still looking at us with the same look. We haven’t done anything so we still have to go out and show it.
Klintman is on the same track.
– We haven’t proven anything yet as a team. We lost to the Czech Republic and Slovenia the last time we faced them. If we as a group can win these games, I think it’s the start of something big. We have the talent but we have to continue to build chemistry as a team and continue to get better together. It’s matches like this that make us get better, he says.
This is how Sweden goes to the WC
The Men’s Basketball World Cup will be held on August 27-September 12, 2027 in Qatar.
In order for Sweden to get there, the team needs to get through two qualifying rounds.
In the ongoing first qualifying round, Sweden meets the Czech Republic, Slovenia and Estonia. Sweden has won one of four matches with two matches left to play. Sweden needs to finish as worst third in the group to advance to the next qualifying round.
In the second qualifying round, the three best placed teams from Sweden’s group face the three best teams in a group consisting of Belgium, Finland, France and Hungary. The teams take the results from the first group stage with them. The three best-placed teams from the new six-team group qualify for the WC.
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