Estonia Returns to Division A at FIBA U16 EuroBasket Division B

Aug 17, 2026

Estonia's U16 national team secured a bronze medal at the FIBA U16 EuroBasket Division B 2026, earning a ticket back to Division A and returning among Europe's elite youth basketball nations. The tournament was held in Skopje and Gevgelija, North Macedonia, from August 6–15, 2026. After competing in Division A in 2025 and suffering relegation, Estonia responded with an outstanding performance, finishing among the top three teams and securing an immediate return to the highest level of European U16 basketball.

Road to Division A

Estonia advanced through the group stage with three victories and one defeat before reaching the knockout rounds. In the quarter-finals, the Estonians defeated Sweden to secure a place in the semi-finals, where they faced tournament favorites Croatia. Despite the loss, Estonia bounced back in the bronze-medal game to claim a podium finish and ticket to Division A.

Group Stage

Estonia vs Hungary - 74:65
Estonia vs Great Britain - 77:69
Estonia vs Austria - 66:45
Estonia vs Denmark - 89:82

Quarter-Final

Estonia vs Sweden - 86:70

Semi-Final

Estonia vs Croatia - 62:87

Bronze Medal Game

Estonia vs Bosnia and Herzegovina — 83:67

After a closely contested first half of the bronze-medal game, Estonia led by just one point (41:40). A dominant second-half performance saw the team pull away and secure a convincing victory, guaranteeing promotion back to Division A.

A BBBL Success Story

This achievement is especially meaningful for the BBBL family, as every player on Estonia's bronze-medal-winning roster has previously competed in BBBL:

Bert Martin
Tom Laurimaa
Marten Miilen
Villem Suuroja
Kaur Otto Taldrik
Jakob Zirk
Andreas Tobi
Rudolf Lepa
Romek Niilo
Martin Teppo
Hans Vaher
Robert Teetlaus

The BBBL connection extends beyond the players. Assistant coaches Joosep Indermitte and Kustas Poldoja have also previously participated in BBBL with their teams in the regular season.