The path to the final ticket for the 2014-15 Turkish Airlines Euroleague Regular Season will run through Sleuyter Arena in Ostend, Belgium, the host site for this season’s qualifying rounds tournament. Eight teams from seven countries, including local side Telenet Ostend, will meet for the single-elimination tournament, scheduled from Tuesday, September 23, through Friday, September, 26, when a winner will be crowned. The winning team will advance to one of the Turkish Airlines Euroleague Regular Season groups to be determined at Thursday’s Euroleague draw. The pairings for the qualifying rounds will also be determined by draw Thursday. The remaining seven teams will continue their European campaigns in the 2014-15 Eurocup.
Sleuyter Arena is located one block from the beach in Ostend, the largest town on the Belgian coast. Built in 2006, it is a fully modern multi-purpose hall fit with all the necessary amenities to host an event of the size of the Turkish Airlines Euroleague Qualifying Rounds. There are comforts for fans and players alike, including a VIP Lounge, restaurants and bars as well as four spacious locker rooms and a press conference area. The arena is accustomed to hosting high-level basketball as the home court for Belgian champion Telenet Ostend.
In addition to Ostend, ASVEL Lyon Villeurbanne and Strasbourg from France, CEZ Basketball Nymburk from the Czech Republic, Hapoel Jerusalem from Israel, Stelmet Zielona Gora from Poland, Unics Kazan from Russia and VEF Riga from Latvia will compete in the qualifying rounds. The qualifying rounds were introduced in 2009 in a two-game series format and switched to a final eight style tourney in 2011. That year Galatasaray and Spirou Charleroi advanced from events in Vilnius, Lithuania; and Charleroi, Belgium. Pallacanestro Cantu won the event in Desio Italy in 2012 and Lietuvos Rytas Vilnius did so on its home court last season.
