HORSHAM’S Jannik Blair has come close to winning a title with Bilbao in the Euro League 1 finals for wheelchair basketball last week.
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Playing at home, the side fell short in one of the most highly regarded European tournaments.
Blair said it was a fantastic experience to play in the final, but it was tough to lose in front of the home crowd.
“Dealing with being the runner-up is something that never gets easier,” he said.
“Making it to the final in the Euro League was huge, and dropping it by two points was hard. We were down after the first quarter but worked our way back into it and after half time we were neck and neck.
“We had a full house watching us play and 99% of the fans were Bilbao fans so it was hard to lose in front of all our crowd. Luckily for us we have the final four of the Spanish League in a week and it’s a matter of moving on and we can still win a title.”
Blair said he has thoroughly enjoyed playing in Spain this season.
“The depth in the Spanish league is really high and there is such variation in the teams,” he said. “If you play well you can beat anyone in the league and the quality in the league has made it a very interesting and exciting season.
“It has been very good for my basketball. When you move to a different country and league you need to start from scratch in terms of building that team chemistry. It took us until half way through the season until we really started to click.”
Blair said a season highlight so far was a big win against one of the league’s best sides, Madrid.
“Highlight of the season would be a big win against Madrid, who have been the benchmark of Spanish and European basketball for at least five to 10 years,” he said.
“That was the first time in the club’s history we have beaten them, so that was huge. Our season has been a bit of a roller coaster with wins and losses.”
After the Spanish league wraps up Blair will be returning to Australia in preparation for August’s World Wheelchair Basketball Championships in Germany.
“I will be flying back to Australia after the season and focusing on the World Championships in August,” he said. “I am very excited about the chance to get back onto the world stage.”
