MILITARY WORLD GAMES '99
 
by Zeljko Zule and Zeljka Visosevic

Zagreb, Croatia (08-17/08)

Final Standings
1. Croatia
2. USA
3. R. Korea
4. Latvia
5. Saudi Arabia
6. UAE
7. Canada
8. Belgium
9. Netherlands
10. Italy
11. DPR Korea
Groups Standings
Group A
Croatia 3-0
South Korea 2-1
Latvia 1-2
Belgium 0-3 
Group B
USA 2-0
Canada 1-1
North Korea 0-2
Group C
Italy 3-0
Saudi Arabia 2-1
UAE 1-3
Holland 0-3

    Tournament host Croatia won gold medal beating in the final USA. It looks like there were real soldiers, while the game between Italy and Korea was interrupted, because the players started big fight…

U.S. international basketball is experiencing serious crisis, while they did not manage to win another tournament (after Panamerican Games) in a short time. So only NBA players are the ones, which could guarantee for the USA continuous success.

Finals: Croatia - USA 101:76 (Kovacic 25, Mulaomerovic 21, Giricek 18, Nicevic 10, Krstic 7, Kapov 6, Grgat 6, T.Ruzic 5, Buric 2, Pestic 1, Vujcic -, Dujmovic - - Shields 28, Willem 15, Loll 8, Dingle 8, Reese 7, B.Johnson 5, J.Johnson 3, Stuart 3, Jackson 2, Palmer 1, Forbes -, Gardner -).
For 3rd place: Latvia-South Korea 82:78
For 5th place: Saudi Arabia-UAE 67:62, 7.Canada, 8.Belgium, 9.Holland, 10.Italy, 11.North Korea.

Only Croatian players and some player from Italy and Latvia were professionals. All players from USA team are solders which played basketball like hobby, but they are strong team. Some of them have NCAA experience. The players from Arabic countries play in their naitonal league and even South Korea sent the players with quite strong experience. The most succesfull teams on this tournament are Croatia and USA. Much more we are expected from Italy, but when they lost 1/4 game against Latvia they lost their nerves in game against DPR Korea, so they are disqualifited, just like DPR Korea. I so a lot of good and talent players in Italy team, USA team, Latvia team and Canada team. Italy came to Zagreb with five professional players. One of them is young center Christian Di Guliomaria (9,6 points per game, and 5,6 rebounts per game). He is so good player, great rebounder and I think that he will be one of the best centers in Europe, maybe in the world. Massimo Bulleri, Andrea Michelori, Michele Mian and William di Spalatro are also great player with very good basketball qualities.
  In USA team the best player is Christopher Loll, second asisstent in this tournament (5 per game). He is very smart player, with lot of important qualities which one player must have. He can do everything with the ball and I really like his stille. On my opinion he is the best foreign player which played on this tournament (13,5 points per game and 5,6 rebounds). I also like John Jackson (10,0 rebounds per game), TC Shields (18,60 points per game) and Jarmica Reese (13,30 points per game).   In Canadian team the best player is Murray Davidson (former pro), great center which was the best shooter on this tournament (23,50 points per game). He is very interesting player and very good rebounder (15,5 per game). Latvia have a tipical team for that part of Europe. They have very good young guard Kristaps Durnis, very talent player with good tactics and very bright future. He was their first shooter - 18,33 points per game. Uvis Helmanis is good forward, strong and talent rebounder (8,0 rebounds per game). Other teams have one or two player which deserve our attention - Byung Chung Kim from R. Korea (14,83 points per game), Ali Maghrabi from Saudi Arabia (18,00 points per game and 11,00 rebounds per game),
Abdulla Ibrahim al Hosani from UAE (12,67 points per game) and Samuel Staggers (former pro) from Belgium (18,50 points per game).

All results:
Monday, august 9th
Croatia - Belgium                    101:54 (55:24)
Republic of Korea - Latvia            86:81 (44:51)
PR Korea - Canada                     75:82 (70:70; 34:40)
Saudi Arabia - UAE                    74:62 (34:36)
Italy - Netherlands                   84:30 (42:12)

Thusday, august 10th
Croatia - Republic of Korea          123:85 (66:34)
Belgium - Latvia                      40:102 (16:60)
PR Korea - USA                        64:122 (38:63)
UEA - Netherlands                     98:53 (49:18)
Saudi Arabia - Italy                  84:88 (39:38)

Wednesday, august 11th
Croatia - Latvia                      92:88 (51:31)
Belgium - Republic of Korea           51:110 (18:52)
Canada - USA                          35:85 (18:42)
Saudi Arabia - Netherland             117:51 (53:31)
UAE - Italy                           55:70 (30:47)

Thurday, august 12th - free day

Friday, august 13th
Latvia - Italy                        86:84 (53:40)
Republic of Korea - Canada            93:70 (42:37)
USA - UAE                             88:55 (39:32)
PR Korea - Saudi Arabia               73:91 (37:41)
Belgium - Netherland                  84:52 (35:23)

Sathurday, august 14th
Croatia - Saudi Arabia                96:55 (56:29)
Canada - UAE                          49:74
Italy - PR Korea                      71:38 game was interrputed in 9th minute of second half because of big fight between teams. Techical jury disqualify both teams after that incident.

Sunday, august 15th
Semifinals
Croatia - Latvia                      87:73 (53:41)
USA - Republic of Korea               105:82 (56:48)

Monday, august 16th
For 5. place:
Saudi Arabia - UAE                    67:62 (36:37)
For 3. place:
Republic of Korea - Latvia            82:78 (42:35)
Final:
Croatia - USA                         101:76 (51:32)
CROATIA: Vujičić, Mulaomerović 21, Krstić 7, pestić 1, Bulić 2, Kapov 6, Giriček 18, Dujmović, Nicević 10, Ružić 5, Grgat 6, Kovačić 25
USA: J. Johnson 3, Forbes, Stuart 3, Loll 8, Shields 24, Palmer 1, B. Johnson 5, Gadner, Reese 7, Willem 15, Dingle 8, Jackson 2

Awards
The best player in tournament: Damir Mulaomerović (Croatia)
The best shoter: Murray Davidson (Canada) - 23,5 points per game
Fair-play - national team of Belgium
Best five: Mulaomerović (Croatia), Kovačić (Croatia), Kristaps Purnis (Lavia), Uvis Helmanis (Latvia) and Byung Chul Kim (R.Korea).

Program including 19 sports disciplines: military sports (military penthlaton, naval penthlaton, parachuting, shooting), individual sports (athletics, cycling, swimming, waterpolo, orienteering, triathlon), combat sports (boxing, fencing, judo, wrestling, teakwondo) and team sports (basketball, handball, volleyball, football). Croatia has also included rowing and canoe-kayak as demonstration sport.

Counseil International du Sports Militaire (CISM) was founded in 1948 and now include 119 nations: 44 from Africa, 17 from America, 25 from Asia and 33 from Europe. First MWG was in Rome 1995 with 4000 athlets from 89 countries. This outstanding sports gathering was organized during the year of the 50th anniversary of the ned of the Second World War and of the drafting of the United Nations Chater. Second MGG are at Zagreb (7000 athlets from 77 countries) and third will be at Holland 2003. It is very interesting that 76 medals out of 205 were badged by military athlets, i.e. 37% of all medals befell the military, which is slighlty less thatin Albertville in 1992 (38%) but far more than in Lillehammer in 1994 (31%).