The Belgian national women's basketball team, the Belgian Cats, have won their qualifying match against Sweden. This decisive victory is a milestone in the history of Belgian women's basketball!
© Photo Basketball Belgium
It is a dream come true... And yet everything hung in the balance! In the qualifying tournament for the Olympic Games, the team had to play three games. The Belgian Cats' first game ended in defeat (61-56) against Canada. Despite this start, the Belgian Cats didn't give up, beating Japan (92-84) in their second match. This victory over Japan brought them closer to their Olympic dream, but their place in Tokyo was still not guaranteed. They still had "the" decider against Sweden to play.
The Belgian Cats faced Sweden on familiar ground, at the Versluys Dôme in Ostend. That didn't make the game any less intense. The two teams were neck and neck in the first half. Belgium's Kim Mestdagh just managed to squeeze in three points before the end of the first half. This put the Belgian Cats 23-21 ahead. In the second half, the Belgian players were confronted by a threatening opponent. But the Belgians hung on, beating the Swedes 53-61. Booking themselves a place in the Olympics in the process! It is a historic first for Belgian women's basketball.
We are therefore looking forward to supporting the Belgian Cats at the Olympic Games in Tokyo this summer.
