Latvian 3×3 national team’s players have brought home the bronze medal after finishing the FIBA 3×3 World Cup 2023 in third place and securing the position in the qualification tournament for Paris Olympics in 2024.
The Latvian national team won against Brazil with a result of 22:12 in the fight for the bronze medal.
After a slow start, Latvians overtook the lead, getting seven points in advance (12:5), and finished with ten point advance which brought a confident victory.
On Saturday, the 3rd of May, the Latvian team won over Belgium in the round of 16, and in the quarter-finals surpassed the Netherlands.
On Sunday, in the semi-finals, Latvia lost to Serbia, while the Brazilians lost to the USA in the fight for a place in the final.
With three wins in four matches, Latvia took second place in group B, where they first lost to the USA, but then won Slovenia, Austria, and Australia.
Lācis replaces Edgars Krūmiņš in this tournament. The decision was made after the training camp held in Ventspils, in which 14 candidates participated. To help with the training process, Kārlis Apsītis, and Kristaps Gludītis also went to the World Cup.
The Latvian men’s national team will participate in the European Games tournament in Krakow in mid-June, and in the European Championship in Jerusalem in early September.
Latvia achieved its best result so far in 2019, when it won silver medals in Amsterdam, losing 14:18 to the USA in the final.