A Serbian player might join Croatian national team / News - Basketnews.com

Aleksandar Aranitovic, although born in Belgrade, holds a Croatian passport and could join the Croatian national team, former HKS sports director Aleksandar Petrovic claims.

Credit: Cedevita Olimpija/Filip Barbalic Credit Cedevita Olimpija/Filip Barbalic

The Croatian national team already has a naturalized player in Jaleen Smith. It is possible that another foreigner might join the squad.

Aleksandar Aranitovic

Position:SGAge:25Height:196 cmWeight:91 kgBirth place:Belgrade, SerbiaProfileNewsStatistics

The former Croatian Basketball Federation's (HKS) sports director and head coach, Aleksandar Petrovic, suggested there was a possibility for Aleksandar Aranitovic, who was born in Serbia, to play for the Croatian national team.

Aranitovic was born in Belgrade and played for Serbia in FIBA youth competitions but holds a Croatian passport, Petrovic claims. It now depends on whether the current head coach, Josip Sesar, would like him to join the squad.

"Although Sani Aranitovic played for the younger categories in Serbia, given that he also has a Croatian passport, I don't think there are any administrative obstacles for him to play for the Croatian national team. Of course, another question is whether Sesar sees him in the national team and whether the player himself wants it," Petrovic wrote on X, formerly Twitter.

Aranitovic played for Crvena Zvezda in the youth categories, but later joined Partizan in 2017. He played for Dzukija Alytus in Lithuania before joining Cibona in 2022. He averages 16.5 points, 4.4 rebounds, and 2.2 assists for 16.5 PIR in the ABA League.

Croatia will play in the 2024 Olympic Qualifying Tournament in Piraeus, Greece, alongside Slovenia and New Zealand in Group A. If they go through, they will meet against either Egypt, Greece, or the Dominican Republic in the semifinal.

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