Cyprus national basketball team concludes preparations for EuroBasket 2029 qualifiers

The Cyprus national men's basketball team concluded its preparation for the FIBA EuroBasket 2029 pre-qualifiers with a competitive friendly match against Greece on August 24, 2026, at the Telekom Center in Athens. Despite a strong performance where they led for three quarters, Cyprus was defeated by Greece with a final score of 82-75. Head coach Panagiotis Giannaras managed the squad without four key players—Filippos Tigkas, Konstantinos Simitzis, Nikos Stylianou, and Aineas Gjung—allowing him to test different rotations ahead of the upcoming official fixtures.

Following the match, representatives from the Cyprus Basketball Federation, including president Louis Dimitriou, held a formal meeting with the Hellenic Basketball Federation in Athens to discuss strengthening professional cooperation. This trip marked the first time the two national teams faced each other in a friendly match on Greek soil.

Cyprus now shifts focus to the official start of the second round of pre-qualifiers, where they face Austria on August 27, 2026, at the Spyros Kyprianou Stadium in Limassol. Competing in Group F alongside Austria and North Macedonia, Cyprus aims to secure a top spot to qualify for the EuroBasket 2029 preliminary rounds, with upcoming matches scheduled through February 2027.