Latvian president acknowledges accomplishment of women's basketball team

(BEIJING, June 17) -- On June 16, Latvia’s president, Valdis Zatlers, entertained the Latvian women’s basketball team to celebrate their qualification for the Beijing Olympics. Zatlers highly praised the team’s efforts in the FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament and wished them all the best in Beijing.

Women’s basketball is the only team event Latvia has qualified for in the 2008 Games. They won four straight matches in the qualification tournament, including the decisive triumph over Angola. They have been making notable progress in the past few years, placing fourth in last year’s European Championship. Team captain Anete Jēkabsone-Žogota was named in the first team of the EuroBasket Women 2007. She was also awarded the title of FIBA Europe Young Women’s Player of the Year in 2005.