Ainars Bagatskis learned his team's potential path to the 2027 Basketball World Cup following Tuesday's qualification draw in Doha. The Ukraine national team coach now knows exactly what stands between his squad and the main tournament in Qatar.
Ukraine must navigate a pre-qualification hurdle first, having missed out on EuroBasket 2025 qualification back in August. They'll compete in a three-team group alongside Slovakia and Switzerland.
"We understand our position clearly now. The draw presents challenges but also opportunities for our squad," Bagatskis might assess of the situation facing his team.
Should Ukraine top their pre-qualification group, they'll advance to Group A of the main qualification tournament. There, they would face a significant challenge against basketball powerhouse Spain, along with Georgia and one of the pre-qualification winners (either Croatia, Denmark, or Norway).
Interestingly, a second-place finish in pre-qualification would send Ukraine to Group C, creating matchups against Serbia, Turkey, and Bosnia - arguably an equally difficult proposition.
The main qualification tournament for the 2027 World Cup kicks off in November. Can Bagatskis prepare his squad sufficiently in the coming months to navigate this qualification maze? The road to Qatar certainly won't be straightforward.
