By Johnny Askounis/ info@eurohoops.net
Rimas Kurtinaitis will remain at the helm of the Lithuanian senior team, the Lithuanian Basketball Federation announced on Saturday. The veteran tactician agreed to extend his stint until the end of the current selection cycle, reversing a previous decision to step down.
The 66-year-old tactician had submitted his resignation following the conclusion of the first round of the FIBA World Cup 2027 Qualifiers. However, during an executive committee meeting on Friday, LKF unanimously expressed full confidence in his leadership and urged him to stay. By Saturday, Kurtinaitis formally accepted the proposal.
“The defeat in Italy brought a lot of difficult emotions and self-reflection,” the experienced coach commented on the disappointing conclusion in Group D of the European Qualifiers. “As a coach, I hold myself to the highest standards, and the responsibility for a team’s losses ultimately rests on my shoulders. However, seeing such strong backing from the basketball community and feeling a deep obligation to Lithuanian basketball, I decided to continue my work.”
Lithuania faces a challenging path ahead in the second round, starting Group J with a 3–3 record. They currently sit in the elimination zone, trailing one win behind the top three spots required to secure a berth in the final tournament. Turkiye leads the group at 6–0, followed by Italy at 5–1, and Serbia at 4–2, while Iceland at 3–3 and Bosnia-Herzegovina at 2–4 round out the standings.
Resuming action in the upcoming FIBA window, the national team faces Turkiye in Istanbul on August 28, before returning home to host Bosnia-Herzegovina in Vilnius on August 31.
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