The Ticino, pioneer of the discipline in Switzerland, is not part of the quartet selected by Swiss Basketball for the Olympic Qualification Tournament which begins Thursday in Debrecen.
“What more could I have done? NOTHING,” writes Westher Molteni in an open letter published on his Facebook page. The 37-year-old from Ticino says he is particularly disappointed not to know the reasons for his non-selection for this TQO, which represents the last opportunity for Switzerland to win a ticket for the Paris Games.
“When I think of the sacrifices I made to achieve this national goal, having refused contracts in five-a-side basketball because the 3×3 season lasts ten months, only seeing my children five days during the summer because we had to bring points to Switzerland to be able to participate in a TQO, create and promote tournaments in Switzerland and abroad, it is not fair to have been treated like this,” he wrote.
Westher Molteni blames neither the players nor the Federation staff. He criticizes “the mechanism put in place in our country, which allows players to decide if and when they want to sacrifice themselves for a common goal (…) and if and when they want to train with a view to the Olympic Games “, he underlines, regretting that merit does not have enough importance in the selection process.
This decision is final, underlines the Ticino resident. He will not change his mind, even if Switzerland were to obtain the right to participate in the Olympic 3×3 tournament next Sunday. But “I sincerely believe that Switzerland has a real opportunity to obtain one of the last three tickets for the Games, and I am hopeful that it will succeed,” he writes again.
2024-05-14 17:34:23
#Molteni #longer #play #Swiss #team
