FIBA World Olympic Qualifying Tournament 2008

[rikhardur]

GER – Demirel blow for Germany



HAGEN (FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament for Men) - Germany’s bid to reach the Beijing Games became a little more complicated on Friday when guard Mithat Demirel withdrew from the squad for the FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament because of an eye injury.



Demirel got hurt in an April 6 game against Göttingen and has not fully recovered, forcing him to pull out of the training camp in Mallorca – the site of Germany’s first training camp.



Germany coach Dirk Bauermann had earlier lost Johannes Herber because he is still not fully recovered from the serious knee injury he went down with in October.



Herber’s Alba Berlin teammate, center Patrick Femerling, has been given an extra week off since Alba played deep into the campaign and won the German BBL play-off finals.



Germany will take on Cape Verde and New Zealand in Group B of next month’s FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament in Athens.

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