San Marino 4
The long wait is over
Ireland ended a near three decade wait to complete a perfect 4-0 week and lift the trophy at the 2021 FIBA European Championship for Small Countries. Emmet Ryan was at the arena in Dublin to drink it all in That night in 1994, I was 13 years old and didn’t even know the game was […]
And you will know them by the trail of dead
Nobody was expecting a close run thing between Ireland and San Marino but the sheer barbarity the hosts put on display in the opening quarter set the tone for an utter rout. Emmet Ryan witnessed the carnage up close The first few days of action had shown that San Marino appeared to be the weakest […]
Small countries but a big deal
Ireland opened their account on night one of the FIBA European Championships for Small Countries by winning a lively encounter over Andorra. Emmet Ryan would have settled for a damp squib of a game, he was just happy to be back courtside in person. The second half of Malta’s win over San Marino was well […]
Basketball, one dimension smaller
Yesterday, the XIII Games of the Small European States in Cyprus began with the first competitions. This week-long event that is organized every two years can be compared to the Olympic Games but at a way smaller scale. Only European countries with fewer than 1 million inhabitants is allowed to participate. The event also features […]