The crowd added its own colors, filling every corner of the arena.

The crowd added its own colors, filling every corner of the arena.

With unforgettable emotions and top-level basketball, the first day of Group C action at FIBA EuroBasket 2025 — hosted at the Spyros Kyprianou Athletic Center in Limassol — came to an end. Six national teams offered fans unique moments, with Cyprus writing historic pages in its own EuroBasket premiere.

The curtain rose with the big clash between Georgia and Spain, where Aleksandar Džikić’s team signed a great victory against the 2022 European champions. The tournament’s first basket was scored by Duda Sanadze, familiar to the Cypriot crowd from his stint with Anorthosis (2022–2023). The standout of the game was NBA player Sandro Mamukelashvili, supported by Goga Bitadze, Tornike Shengelia, and Sanadze. Georgia was cheered loudly by the hundreds of compatriots who filled the stands.

Spain, on the other hand, showed that it is in a transitional phase following the departure of key members of its previous “golden generation.”

Then came the historic moment for Cyprus: its very first participation in the final stage of a EuroBasket. The President of the Republic, Nikos Christodoulides, and the Speaker of the House, Annita Demetriou, were in attendance, underlining the importance of the evening.

The Cypriot national team faced Bosnia and Herzegovina, with Ioannis Pasialis making history by scoring Cyprus’ first-ever basket in a EuroBasket. Despite the defeat, Christoforos Livadiotis’ squad showed an excellent performance, especially in the third quarter (23–11). Top scorer for Cyprus was Konstantinos Simitzis with 22 points, while Bosnia’s leader was NBA player Jusuf Nurkić.

The first day concluded with the big derby between Greece and Italy, in a packed Spyros Kyprianou arena, where Giannis Antetokounmpo — under the watchful eye of his Milwaukee Bucks coach, Doc Rivers, who was in Limassol — delivered his own spectacular show. The Greek superstar electrified the crowd with powerful dunks and fierce defense, leading the “official favorite” to an important win over always-dangerous Italy. Strong contributions also came from Kostas Sloukas, Dinos Mitoglou, and Vassilis Toliopoulos, as Greece sent a strong message for the road ahead.

The fans brought their own spirit, filling every corner of the arena and creating a festive atmosphere that even FIBA admired. The passionate presence of the crowd was the perfect epilogue to a historic day for Cypriot basketball and proof that our country can successfully host such an event.

Now all eyes turn to Saturday, August 30, when the second matchday of FIBA EuroBasket 2025 will take place.