Zalgiris holds 4-day training camp for Danish basketball talents 0

At the end of last season, Zalgiris started closely working with the Danish Basketball Federation and the Stenhus Basketball College in Holbek. Last week, 47 guests from Denmark visited Lithuania, as they participated in a four-day training camp in Kaunas.

Two boys‘ and one girls‘ team took part in this project and with the guidance of coaches Mantas Sernius and Darius Sirtautas, the Danish basketballers not only had the chance to practice in the top-notch facilities in Zalgirio Arena, but also had their skills tested playing against the Zalgiris basketball school teams.

On the last day of the training camp, Zalgiris athletic coach Justinas Grainys, who had just gotten off the plane from Podgorica, held a physical preparation practice for the camp players.

Project coordinator Gediminas Navickas was adamant that all sides take a lot out of this close cooperation.

“This whole training camp is part of a project between Zalgiris, Stenhus Basketball College and the Danish Basketball Federation. Perhaps the Danish teams take the most out of it, as they come to practice with the coaches coming from the Zalgiris system, to broaden their horizons. I’m sure Zalgiris coaches also find it interesting to get to see the different basketball culture and have the chance to look at the top talents in Danish basketball.”

Head of Stenhus Basketball College, Jesper Sorensen, was ecstatic for the opportunity to improve with some of the best coaches in Lithuania and the conditions provided in Kaunas.

“It was a great idea from a good friend of mine, Gediminas Navickas, whose twin brother is the badminton coach in the sports academy I run in Denmark. He connected us to the Zalgiris board and from there on, we took it step by step. We love coming to Kaunas, it’s a very nice city and we’re happy to show our players the next level of basketball. It is a good experience for us and especially for the youth.”

The Danish national team coach Erez Bittman was also in town, as he coached the main Stenhus college team.

This isn’t the first joint initiative from Denmark and Zalgiris, as the Zalgiris Invitational Camp was held in Denmark this summer, and 17-year-old Danish talent Louis Stormark has been practicing with the Zalgiris youth team.