Ireland prepare against top European opposition

Ireland’s basketball team will play Italy, Latvia and Lithuania, three of the top 10 teams in the world, as part of their preparation tournament for the 2005 European Championships.

The Irish Giants depart for Rimini in Italy on Monday, and play their first game against Turkey on Tuesday. Depending on the result of this game, they will then play either Italy or Finland on Wednesday.

The men will then return home for a short training camp in Dublin for the weekend before flying out again to confront Latvia in Riga on August 30.

Gerry Fitzpatrick’s men will then visit Vilnius to brave Lithuania on September 1 and return to Irish soil just in time for game preparation against Malta on September 3 at the National Basketball Arena.