Qualifying for the European Championships: "Amazing feelings, I feel my hard work pays off" • The connection to Oded Katsch: "We have a full understanding, when necessary I get on my head" • And the conversation with Dad David after the show against Spain: "Said he was proud of me" • Interview with The engine of the Israeli team
Blatt vs. Spain.
Balba was enthusiastic about his performance
Photography:
FIBA, the official website
The team players are celebrating.
Met the goal
Photography:
FIBA, the official website
Blatt yesterday at Ben Gurion Airport. "Hard work pays off"
Photography:
Danny Maron
The success of the Israeli team in the bubble in Valencia has many factors, from coach Oded Katash to the anchor in the color Jake Cohen.
Gal Makal and Guy Pnini brought good leadership and ability in the decisive moments, but without a doubt the engine is Tamir Blatt - the main culprit for the fact that in both games Israel gave more than the rivalry and scored better percentages.
The 51-minute coordinator who played for the 23-year-old in both games against Spain and Poland is the most in the team, along with Cohen.
His assist-loss ratio stands at 1-8.5, and the 31 index points she snatched from his head, "La Rucha" will not forget for a long time.
"The feelings are amazing," he says in a special interview with Israel Today, "for a while now I feel that my hard work pays off. The fact that I am a significant player on the team and also in a good team in the league means a lot to me. I try to enjoy the road as much as possible. We are very happy that we have met the goals we set. "
Was that really the goal? Did you believe you could return from Spain with two victories?
"I always believe. The team did us good preparation for both games, we saw a video of the Spaniards and Poles, and on the pitch itself they gave everything on both sides of the pitch, so these are the results."
Team players celebrate in Valencia // Photo: FIBA, official website
After that show against Spain, Blatt's cell phone exploded from messages and phone calls.
Of particular interest is one message from Germany and a phone call from his father David.
"After the game, I received a message from the general manager of Alba Berlin (Himar United, YM) about the game and my ability," he says. "It was a good feeling to receive such a message."
And how was the conversation with Dad?
"Dad told me that he was proud of me and that he was happy that I was part of the success of the team, and that I was contributing with my leadership and ability. Mostly he emphasized that he was proud of me."
Speaking of Alba, you won two Euroleague players and also a Eurocup player. Have you ever had a thought "here I can handle such players well"?
"No, I did not think about them being in the Euroleague and I won them. I can tell you that in the conversations between us the players we felt and believed we could win both games."
David Page. "Emphasized he's proud of me" // Photo: GettyImages
"Campazo is a great role model"
Blatt hopes that his success and the success of the team will make young Israeli players strive as far as possible.
"Most of the basketball players in the country are more or less my size, so I hope that when they look at me, they can dream and know that everything can be achieved if you work hard, right and smart. I wish every child would achieve what he dreams of being."
If you are already a role model, is Pekondo Campazzo your model?
.
There's a lot of talk about the special bond between you and Katsch, what do you mean?
"Oded and I have been together for many years. Both in the youth teams and in Hapoel Tel Aviv, I was with him in training, and certainly now in Jerusalem.
When you are with a person for so many years, chemistry is created.
We understand basketball even when we talk one-on-one.
We just understand what each of us wants and means. "
Have you ever snatched shouts from him?
"When necessary, he also raises his voice. This happens mainly in the video of correcting mistakes after games. Oded treats everyone equally, and whoever needs to get in the head - gets."
Katsch. "Chemistry was created between us" // Photo: EPI
Since the victory over Poland, everyone has been talking about the potential of the team and what it can achieve at the 2022 European Championships, and in the union there are already those who dream of reaching the quarterfinals.
Blatt has not yet reached the goal marking stage, but he is confident that good results can be achieved.
"It still has not crossed my mind and I can not tell you how far we will get," he says, "but we have an excellent generation of players, and when we get there - the sky is the limit for us. It's going to be interesting in the championship."
Close your eyes for a moment, what's the big dream you want to fulfill with the team?
"European Championship Medal".
