Lithuania’s government has rejected Žalgiris Kaunas’ request for 1 million euros to support the city’s bid to host the Euroleague Final Four matches.
Deputy Minister of Education, Science and Sport Linas Obcarskas says the government cannot afford to allocate money for the sports event as the country is going through difficult times.
He also stressed that the question was not about a European or world championship, adding the Euroleague Final Four will probably take place without Žalgiris Kaunas.
“With no doubt, we would all like Žalgiris to play there, but this is a professional basketball club. In our country, it’s usually more supported through municipalities,” Obcarskas told LRT.lt.
“We’re certainly not saying that such events could not be supported in the future, but we’re now going through many crises, and we don’t have a surplus of funds. This is the main reason,” he added.
A recent survey of Euroleague club managers showed they would like to host the Final Four in Kaunas this season. Istanbul came second.
Director of Žalgiris Kaunas Paulius Motiejūnas said that without government support, chances of Kaunas hosting the Euroleague Finals were slim.
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