Trophy Tour leads through Latvia

The beautiful Baltic country of Latvia, participating in the FIBA Basketball World Cup for the first time, was a spectacular stop on the Trophy Tour presented by J9.

The Latvian team will play Canada, France, and Lebanon in the first round in Jakarta, which many call the “group of death” due to the high quality of the teams.

The first stop in Riga for the Naismith Trophy was theTV3 Morning Show “900 Sekundes”

If the short-term aim will be to survive and advance to the Second Round, the dream for all 32 teams in the tournament being staged in Manila, Okinawa, and Jakarta, the city hosting Latvia in the first two rounds, will be to lift the Naismith Trophy.

After arriving in the Latvian capital of Riga on June 29, the trophy made an appearance on the TV3 morning show “900 Sekunden”.

Not long after, it was photographed at famous locations in Riga, like the National Opera (below).

The gorgeous National Opera of Latvia has been in operation on Aspazijas Boulevard since 1923

Panoramic view of Riga

The trophy was then taken to the Freedom Monument, where Latvian Basketball Association President Raimonds Vejonis (speaking below), Riga Mayor Martins Stakis, and Latvia national team players Kristers Zoriks and Arturs Zagars were on hand for interviews.

Vejonis speaks in front of the trophy at the Freedom Monument, which was unveiled in 1935

Getting a close-up look at the Naismith Trophy in Riga

The trophy was then taken to Town Hall Square (below), a popular spot for tourists and for most of the year, the center of hustle and bustle in Riga’s capital.

Town Hall Square

Located in the center of the old city is the Town Hall Square, which is surrounded by Riga City Council, Black Heads Palace, Riga Tourist Information Center, the Latvian Occupation Museum, and the underground Riga Art Space.

The following day, the trophy was again on TV. It appeared on the LTV morning show “Rita Panorama” (below), and there was an interview with Kaspar Cipruss, the Latvian Basketball Association Secretary General.