Ireland will move up to the coveted third place at the end of the first leg of the European Championships semi-final round if they beat Bosnia tomorrow in Tallaght. The top two placed teams in each group plus the four best teams placed third will qualify for the final round to be held in Sweden next year. The game tips off at 3pm.
Earlier this week, Ireland defeated Cyprus 74-67, amidst scenes of chaos in Limassol. Ireland's latest recruit, Glenn Sekunda top scored with 30 points. Mike Mitchell is ruled out of tomorrow's game, having picked up an injury last Sunday in a club game with Avitos Giesson. Croatia remain top of Group C after beating Bosnia 95-65 earlier in the week.
Meanwhile, the ESB have finalised negotiations with the Irish Basketball Association giving the company title sponsorship for the National Basketball Arena in Tallaght. From today, the Dublin venue will be known as 'The ESB Arena' and the announcement comes as the venue prepares to play host to the year's biggest weekend of basketball, the ESB National Cup weekend.
The ESB Arena marks a new direction in national sponsorships, as the venue is the first national sporting venue to receive a title sponsorship. The deal with the IBA will see the Arena title remain with ESB for at least five years.
ESB are currently the official sponsors of Irish basketball, encompassing the sponsorship of our international teams, the ESB national cup and the ESB league. This weekend's action at the ESB arena commences on Friday and runs through to Sunday evening with the Cup Final, which will be televised on RTÉ Network 2.
Filed by Shane Murray and Greg McKevitt
