Basketball 3X3 Match At Buenos Aires 2018

Summer Youth Olympics 

2018

Basketball 3X3 Match At  Buenos Aires 2018

BUENOS AIRES:-  Argentina made history in Puerto Madero on Wednesday. Showing a lot of character, the local basketball 3x3 team won the final against Belgium and claimed the gold medal.

There were many fans wearing Argentinian jerseys in Urban Park on Wednesday. Several were sporting Manu Ginobili’s number 5 and Luis Scola’s number 4 - two symbols of Argentina’s golden generation of basketball. Facundo Campazzo’s number 7 - the new national team captain following Ginobili’s retirement - was also seen in the stands.

But this time there were other heroes: Juan Santiago Hierrezuelo Serer with number 1, Fausto Ruesga with the 2, Juan Esteban de la Fuente with 3 and Marco Giordano Gnass with number 4. These are the stars of a new golden generation who took Argentina to the top of the basketball 3x3 podium at Buenos Aires 2018.

The home team showed a lot of character in their 20-15 victory over Belgium in the final. Although Giordano Gnass led the match with 11 points, all players worked hard on defence and played each ball as if it was the last, marking the difference against an opponent that had been undefeated heading into the gold medal match.

"We trained a lot. It was not only because of my shots. Everyone helped. I felt confident, but the group did a great job and was tough on defence,” Giordano Gnass said.

His teammate Hierrezuelo Serer also spoke about the group's chemistry and the rivals they faced during the competition: "To leave here as Olympic champions is something incredible. We achieved it with sacrifice. The key was giving our best in all the matches of the tournament. We played against European powerhouses and gave our maximum every time."

In addition to the rousing chants of the local fans, de la Fuente felt the support of his father Esteban, a basketball player at Atlanta 1996, who cheered him on from the stands.

"He had a great career. He’s supported me from day one and basketball runs through my veins. The key to gold? We have known each other for a long time and we gave our best at every practice,” said de la Fuente.

Argentina beat Ukraine 18-16 in overtime in a thrilling semifinal earlier on Wednesday.

On their path to gold the team also won 22-19 against Estonia, 21-14 against Russia, 22-15 against Mongolia and 21-12 against Georgia. They lost only once at the end of the group stage to the United States (21-18).

"We started this process with the bronze at the South American Youth Games Santiago 2017. Then they got silver at Cochabamba 2018 against senior teams. Now we were lucky to finish this in the best way. Basketball 3x3 is a sport in itself. We have to keep working," said Argentina’s coach Juan Gatti.

The team had a historic competition at Buenos Aires 2018, improving the country’s performance since Nanjing 2014, where Argentina got a bronze medal, and sowing the seed for Tokyo 2020, which will mark basketball 3x3’s debut at the senior Olympic Games.