Interview with Daniil Shelist Following the Spain Match
Ukrainian national team player Daniil Shelist gave an interview after the 2027 FIBA Basketball World Cup qualification match between Ukraine and Spain. Shelist scored his first points for the national team in this game, which Ukraine lost 66:86 in the third round of the 2027 World Cup qualifiers. The Ukrainian team is competing in a challenging European qualification group.
Daniil Shelist, who plays for Oviedo in Spain's second division, shared his post-game thoughts.
'I'm incredibly happy to have had the chance to represent my country. I didn't even expect to get this much playing time, let alone score points. I just wanted to get on the court and prove I could play for Ukraine—to show that all the work I've put in over the years is paying off. This was my first real opportunity to do that on such a big stage,'
Shelist remarked.
Upcoming Fixtures and Match Statistics
Ukraine's next match will be held in Oviedo, an arena with a capacity of around 5,500. Shelist expressed his belief that the upcoming game will be a crucial test for the team.
'First off, I know the arena will be packed. It's going to be a great game, but we have to forget about this last one. Winning the next game is what matters most. We need to stay energetic and physical for the full 40 minutes so Spain can't play the way they did in the third and fourth quarters,'
the player added.
In the match against Spain, the Ukrainian team posted the following statistics:
- Lukashov - 7
- Kovliar - 15 (4 assists)
- Tkachenko - 4
- Voinalovych - 4
- Skapintsev - 10 (starter)
- Lypovyy - 7
- Bobrov - 7
- Zotov - 6 (5 assists)
- Pustovyi - 2
- Tyrtyshnyk - 2
- Shelist - 2
- Bublyk - 0
The quarter scores were: 21:17, 12:15, 14:33, 19:21.
The Ukrainian national team continues its campaign to qualify for the 2027 World Cup, with the next game representing a vital step on that path. This latest defeat presents another challenge for a squad striving to find its rhythm against top-tier international competition. The emergence of young talents like Daniil Shelist, who has already made his mark, highlights the importance of integrating new players into the national setup as the team prepares for the critical qualifying matches ahead.