Enlarge image
The top thrower was Moritz Wagner
Photo:
Tilo Wiedensohler / imago images / camera4 +
The German basketball players qualified for the Olympics for the first time since 2008.
The team of national coach Henrik Rödl won the final of the qualifying tournament in Split on Sunday with 75:64 (36:34) against Brazil and secured the starting place for Tokyo (23 July to 8 August).
The top thrower was Moritz Wagner (28 points).
After the two difficult preliminary round victories over Mexico (82:76) and Russia (69:67) and the convincing performance in the semi-final against hosts Croatia (86:76), the German team faced the most difficult task by far.
Because the strong Brazilians had won their three games in Split with more than 25 points difference.
Last played at the Olympics in 2008
Most recently, a DBB team played in Beijing in 2008 with the then standard-bearer Dirk Nowitzki as the leader of the Olympics.
There will be sixth participation in Japan.
The German team was also there in 1936, 1972, 1984 and 1992, with national player Rödl in the squad.
In Tokyo, the German Basketball Federation (DBB) will play in Group B against Australia, Nigeria and the winner of the qualifying tournament in Belgrade.
In the final in the evening, hosts Serbia and Italy face each other.
For Rödl, the qualification after the disappointing 2019 World Cup in China (18th place) is the greatest success of his tenure.
His expiring contract has now been automatically extended until the end of the games.
ngo / dpa / sid