Van Rossom dreams of maiden World Cup berth for Belgium

VALENCIA (Spain) – Sam Van Rossom has experienced the intense emotion and highs that exist in basketball during his career, like playing in the white-hot, rowdy atmospheres of Italy and Spain, and winning championships and cups at club level.

He’s fought with Belgium in highly competitive games at the last four FIBA EuroBasket tournaments. But what he hasn’t done is play at the FIBA Basketball World Cup and that’s something he wants to change.

“You can say maybe it’s a personal goal to get that qualification done and try to go to the World Cup,” Van Rossom said. “But we have to be realistic and know that we’re in a tough group.”

The Lions open their European Qualifiers campaign on November 25 at Slovakia and then on November 28 host Serbia. Latvia are also a First Round opponent in Group A, one that Belgium will meet in the February window.

No one predicted that Poland and the Czech Republic would make it to the World Cup in China in 2019 yet both did, and then reached the Quarter-Finals. Maybe Belgium will be the team that surprises everyone by qualifying for the event to be played in 2023.

“The whole window system is unpredictable and maybe that can be to our advantage,” Van Rossom said.

With Belgium’s national team, there has already been success for Van Rossom, though it’s not measured by podium finishes or trophies.

The native of Ghent has been a member of a Belgian generation that has solidified the country’s position in the top flight of European basketball nations. Belgium have competed at every FIBA EuroBasket since 2011, a significant achievement.

Van Rossom, 35, appeared in two of the European Qualifiers games last time but Belgium didn’t get out of the First Round, finishing fourth behind France, Russia and Bosnia and Herzegovina.

If they finish in the top three in the current campaign, Belgium will advance to the Second Round and take on the top three teams from Group B, which consists of Belarus, Great Britain, Greece and Turkey.

source：https://www.fiba.basketball/