Young basketball players open championship in Stožice with a win

Slovenia has launched its European U20 Men's Basketball Championship campaign with a commanding 77:54 victory against the Czech Republic in Ljubljana.

The opening group stage match, played in the Stožice Arena, saw the Slovenian team establish dominance early, leading 22:11 after the first quarter and extending their advantage to 41:25 by halftime. They continued to control the game, finishing the third quarter with a 64:39 lead.

This strong performance underscores Slovenia's high ambitions for the tournament, which is being held on home soil until July 19. The current generation of Slovenian players, born in 2006 and younger, has a proven track record, having secured bronze medals at the 2024 European Championship in Finland and the 2025 World Cup in Switzerland.

Lovro Bolhar was the top scorer for Slovenia with 18 points, supported by Urban Kroflič with 12 points and Mark Padjen with 11. Approximately 1,000 spectators attended the game.

The tournament features a specific format where all 16 participating teams advance to the round of 16. Slovenia, competing in Group D, will next face Israel on Sunday before concluding group play against Romania on Monday. Their potential opponents in the knockout stage include teams from Spain, Croatia, Greece, and Belgium.