Jaunumi

The II-nd IABL tournament of 2016 in Hoganas, Sweden. The Latvians‘ predominance and the Ukrainians‘ victories

On April 9, 2016 the IABL matches took place for the first time in Hoganas, a resort town by the North sea in Sweden.

Teams of Kaunas KKL national and Russia Sankt Petersburgh came out first on the site. Since the start of the game Kaunas team dictated their own terms on the site and defeated the opponents in a result 119:69.

Vilnius „Tegra“ and Moscow BC“ Torpedo“ teams tried out own strenghts in the second match. The fight on the site was rather fierce during the first half. Russians won the first half of the game, but later on Vilnius team concentrated and took the initiative to celebrate the victory 79:70.

A crowd of spectators was attracted by the third match as the local “Hoganas“ team, Sweden faced “Rumba“ team, Latvia, the leader of this year IABL.The game has been rather uneven, the hosts were the winners of the first and third halfs , though Latvians won the second and fourth ones and finally proved their advantage and gained another routine victory of the tournament in a result 72:87.

In the next game the Ukrainian representatives from Kiev faced Moscow BC „Torpedo“. During overall meeting the Ukrainians were more successful and won in a result 103:82

After this game a confrontation between Ryga and Kaunas teams followed. Latvian team proved to purpose to be the leaders of the season and one of the most actual candidates for the highest award.Thus, Ryga “Rumba“ team has already won the fourth victory in succession by defeating Kaunas team in a result 106:83.

During the last but one stage of the match , the Ukrainian team faced another team from Russia, Sankt Petersburgh and had rather easily beaten the ones in a result 78:61.

So, in the last duel of the stage, the host team “Hoganas“, Sweden , as in the first game again, with a great support of fans, accepted Vilnius “Tegra“ challenge. The first half of game was distinguished by a rather fierce fight, although in the second half, the hosts with significant strength for the joy of assembled fans, has won the second victory 92:76, and took the second position in the tournament standing.

During the closing party, the best players of each team have been awarded.The hosts of the tournament did their homework laudably and organised a great festival for everybody. The ,,nail“ of the party was a live concert of the famous group „Funky“ with Beata, an excellent singer , who not only performed songs in Lithuanian and Russian, but in the Ukrainian language as well, and received a wide applause from participants and guests of the party.

So, after the second tournament in Sweden, Latvian team (4-0) remains the sole leader, and right after, even five teams, i.e Sweden, Sankt Petersburgh, Kaunas, the Ukraine and Vilnius follow with two wins each and two loses, and Moscow BC ,,Torpedo“ closes the tournament standing at the bottom. The following arrangement of the standing promises the third tournament as an intriguing one and hardly predictable playoffs.

The third tournament, playoffs and the final fourth, held by the Ukrainians, take place on 2nd-7th of June in Alicante resort by the Mediterranean sea , to be exact in Benidorm, Spain. The strongest IABL team of the tournament will turn out there.

During playoffs, the first teams, winners of the first and second positions get into semifinals at once, whereas the teams in the third and sixth positions play games in quartefinals. The team in the seventh position, together with the teams with loses in semifinals and another extra team from Spanish amateur league will play for the Challenge cup.
See You in sunny Spain!