This weekend, the Lithuanian men’s team, made up of students from Vytautas Magnus University (VMU), won gold medals at the European 3×3 Basketball Championship in Copenhagen, Denmark. VMU students Aurelijus Pukelis, Evaldas Džiaugys, Ignas Vaitkus, and Marijus Užupis defeated the Latvian basketball players 21:17 in the final of the Old Continent championship and became European champions for the first time in the country’s history.
Until now, the best result of the Lithuanian 3×3 basketball team in the European Championship was second place, achieved in 2021 and 2023. Meanwhile, in 2014, 2019, and 2024, the Lithuanians won bronze medals in the Old Continent Championship.
In the final match, the Lithuanian team was led by I. Vaitkus with 8 points, A. Pukelis with 6 points, M. Užupis with 5 points, and E. Džiaugys with 2 points. I. Vaitkus, who played most effectively and ended the game with a decisive shot, was named the MVP of the European Championship.
In the semifinals, Lithuanian basketball players defeated the Italian team 21:15 after a fierce battle, and earlier in the quarterfinals, they defeated the French team 21:17, which won silver medals at the 2024 Paris Olympics.
In the group stage, the Lithuanians played two matches, losing 16:21 to Austria and defeating the hosts Denmark 21:11.
The Lithuanian women’s 3×3 basketball team, consisting of VDU student Martyna Petrėnaitė, Gabrielė Šulskė, Marina Solopova, and Justina Miknaitė, conceded defeat to the Spanish team with a score of 14:20 in the quarterfinals on Sunday, thus ending their participation in the tournament in seventh place.
The national women’s team advanced to the quarterfinals after losing 11:15 to the Netherlands in the group stage, but then defeating Austria 22:12.
