91 Years Later - Latvia’s U16 National Team Writes a New Chapter in History

91 YEARS – WORTH THE WAIT!

In 1935, Latvia made history by winning the first-ever European Championship in men's basketball. Ninety-one years later, another Latvian generation has written its name into the history books.

Latvia's U16 national team captured the country's first-ever FIBA U16 EuroBasket gold medal, completing a perfect 7-0 campaign at the tournament held in Oradea, Romania from August 7–15, 2026. Remarkably, 10 of the 12 players on the championship-winning roster are BBBL alumni, making this achievement especially meaningful for the entire BBBL community.

The Road to Gold

Latvia's journey to the title was nothing short of impressive. Competing against Europe's strongest basketball nations, the team remained undefeated throughout the tournament.

Group Stage

• Latvia vs Türkiye - 88:63

• Latvia vs Italy - 82:70

• Latvia vs Czechia - 95:80

Knockout Stage

• Round of 16: Latvia vs Serbia - 99:59

• Quarter-Final: Latvia vs Greece - 92:80

• Semi-Final: Latvia vs Spain - 92:87

• Final: Latvia vs France - 75:69

The championship game carried additional significance for Latvian basketball. In 2014, Latvia reached the U16 EuroBasket Final in Riga, where the team was defeated by France and had to settle for silver medals. Twelve years later, history came full circle. Once again, Latvia and France met in the Final, but this time the result was different as Latvia claimed its first-ever U16 EuroBasket title.

BBBL Alumni on Latvia's Championship Roster

The following members of Latvia's gold-medal-winning team have previously competed in BBBL:

• Markuss Jahovičs (All-Star FIVE member)

• Rolands Teikmanis

• Markuss Aleksandrovs

• Juris Sičkars

• Gustavs Kirsons

• Mārtiņš Rasnačs

• Ralfs Barlots

• Kristians Mārtiņsons

• Gustavs Vilcāns

• Emīls Hauka

Congratulations, Champions!

We extend our sincere congratulations to all the players, coaches, support staff, and the entire Latvian basketball community on this extraordinary achievement.

From the first European champions in 1935 to the U16 EuroBasket champions of 2026, Latvian basketball continues to create history.