Experience gained in Slovenia will be invaluable, coach says

Dubai: Dubai Basketball, the emirate’s first professional basketball franchise, has travelled to Slovenia for a training camp ahead of a history-making season.

The team will become the first from Dubai to play in a European league when they take part in the ABA League featuring teams from Europe’s Balkans region.

This week the newly-formed squad flew for their first-ever training camp to Koper, Slovenia under the guidance of Head Coach Jurica Golemac and his team. The camp started on August 19 and will continue until September 2.

August 20 was a momentous day in the club’s history as it provided the opportunity for the full first-team squad, along with two players from the club’s academy, to train and play together for the first time, with a month to go until tip-off for the new season.

Whilst in Slovenia the team will play four matches against KK Dinamo, Buducnost, KK Split, and KRKA.

Head Coach Jurica Golemac said: “This camp is an excellent opportunity for us to come together as team and prepare for the season. The players have only been together for a week, but already I am seeing great signs of them bonding and coming together as a team.

“This will be a tough camp for the players with some very hard training and difficult games, but the experience we will gain during our two weeks in Slovenia will be invaluable.”

Following the trip to Slovenia, the team returns to Dubai for seven days where they will play a pre-season friendly at Coca-Cola Arena on September 10, before travelling to Sarajevo in Bosnia from September 14-16 to take part in the Mirza Delibašić tournament where they will face Cluj from Romania, and either Dinamo Sassari from Italy, or KK Bosna from Sarajevo.

Their ABA League campaign will start on September 22 against reigning champions Red Star at Coca-Cola Arena.