Arbroath-born basketball coach Gareth Murray has expressed his pride after guiding the Caledonia Gladiators men’s team to a historic European triumph.
The Gladiators embarked upon their FIBA Europe Cup campaign with a 80-68 victory over BC CSU Sibiu in Romania on Wednesday evening, securing a first continental triumph for a Scottish side in decades.
It continues a landmark year for the franchise, having won the BBL Trophy — the club’s first silverware in 20 years — and moved to a 1,600 seater arena, based at PlaySport Scotland leisure complex in East Kilbride.
They welcome Anwil Wloclawek of Poland to that venue next Wednesday in the second of their Pool B fixtures.
Murray said: “It was amazing to win our first game in European competition, and to prove why we as a club belong at this level.
“Winning away from home in European competition is never an easy task and I’m really proud of how our players performed on the occasion.”
On the same evening, the women’s team also emerged victorious, claiming a 73-52 home win against SL Benfica in the EuroCup Women.
Miguel Angel Ortega Marco, the club’s women’s head coach, added: “As the first Scottish women’s basketball club to compete in European competition in fifty years, it’s really special that we could mark this with a victory.”
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