Vandegor: “The fact that Tokyo could have done so much more would have cut it short” | Platform

Exit Philip Mestdagh and enter Valéry Demory as a trainer for the Belgian cats. The 58-year-old Frenchman is not a well-known name among the general public, but he can make beautiful noble speeches in Lyon and Montpellier, among others.

“The Ligue 1 is one of the strongest in Europe in women’s basketball, and Demory knew Julie Allemand closely and kneaded her in Lyon. This can count,” Vandegor said.

Disappointment after missing out on the semi-finals in Tokyo strongly affected Philip Mustadagh’s exit. Belgium couldn’t beat Japan and thus missed the chance to play their way to the semi-final against France – a possible card.

“Everyone said beforehand that the ambition was in the top eight, but it could have been so much more. That idea had a huge impact, especially with Emma Meesemann, who is probably the best player in the world. After the games, that was what I played for weeks.”

Is the absence from the semi-finals is the coach’s fault? “No, of course not. But the missed opportunity must be quickly abandoned, because the future is now here. Emma Messman is 28, so she will be 30 at the Olympics in Paris. You won’t get so many chances at once. other”.

“Everyone should realize – and will also realize – that with Messman on the team, a really big prize has to be won.”

Now that we know who is going to pull the leads from the field, it’s also time to look forward to the changes in the field. Majori Carbero and Ann Waters are already disappearing for sure.

“The foundation of the team is still there. Kyara Linskens had to come back after a long rehabilitation, she has struggled psychologically in Tokyo, but she is still the most important position. She is still young. Jana Raman and Misman will form a good tandem for a number of years.”

“With Allemand we have one of the best game distributors in the world and Delare has shown in some Olympic games that it has taken a step forward. There are a number of new players like Hind Ben Abdelkader, who no longer want to play under coach Tadbad.”

In addition, yesterday during the performance of Valerie Demory, it was clearly emphasized that they want to deal with Emma Messman “more economically”.

“She and the other key players should play fewer minutes, so that they are more active in the most important moments.”