The EuroChallenge Final Four follows less than 20 days after the EuroLeague Women Final Four, which will take place in Ekaterinburg, Russia from 8 to 10 April.

The host club was founded in 1970 and is considered a powerhouse of Belgian basketball, having conquered 12 domestic league titles and an equal number of Belgian cup competitions.Ostend in particular was the venue of the historic 1984 European Cup Winners’ Cup, which saw Real Madrid beating Olimpia Milano 82-81, while it had also played host to EuroBasket 1977.

The Final Four represents a milestone for Belgium which had been the stage of prestigious European basketball events in the past, but has not hosted an event of this magnitude in a number of years.The beautiful seaside city of Ostend in the Flemish region of Belgium is home to more than 70,000 residents.The hosts will clash with Slovenian side KRKA Novo Mesto for a place in the final, while the other semi-final is an all-Russian affair, with Spartak St Petersbourg taking on Lokomotiv Kuban.

The venue is the Sleuyter Arena, with a capacity of more than 5,000 spectators.The two semi-finals take place on Friday 29 April, while the finals are on Sunday 1 May.FIBA Europe announced on Friday that Belgian club BC Telenet Oostende will host the 2011 EuroChallenge Final Four.

Source: FIBA Europe