Bertāns: Porziņģis to miss World Cup qualifiers over club concerns, other players opt out too

Latvia's men's national basketball team officially begins preparations on Monday for World Cup qualification matches against Croatia and Israel, scheduled for late August. National teams' sports director and former national team captain Dairis Bertāns told LSM.lv that the team's position in the tournament standings is difficult, making victories in these games essential.

Porziņģis unavailable due to club concerns

One of Latvia's leading basketball stars, Kristaps Porziņģis, will not take part in this training camp or the upcoming games. According to Bertāns, the reason lies with concerns from Porziņģis's NBA club, which is preventing him from joining the national team.

Several players declined on their own

Beyond Porziņģis's absence, several other potentially key players have also chosen not to join the national team for this camp. Unlike Porziņģis's situation, these players made their own decision not to participate this time. Bertāns discussed these decisions in more detail in his conversation with LSM.lv, noting that the national team will now need to manage without a number of its regular players.

Latvia faces a crucial stretch in World Cup qualification, and the team's success will largely depend on how the coaching staff compensates for the absence of its leading players.