Big night ahead on road to 2012 for Finch and Maher

By Gerard Meagher, Sportsbeat

THEY were more than a few jealous looks when British Basketball was awarded a big increase in UK Sport lottery funding in the build-up to the London 2012 Olympics.

UNDER PRESSURE: Great Britain's men coach Chris Finch and women's coach Tom Maher are facing a big night in Liverpool

The Great Britain international team had previously existed only in name, playing without fanfare in the lower reaches of the European circuit while the club game remained undeveloped and the domain a dedicated hardcore in draughty leisure centres.

But while other sports, such as shooting, handball and water polo, saw funding slashed, basketball received a 136 per-cent increase, their budget rising from £3.7 million to £8.7m. 

But basketball's world governing body Fiba insisted Great Britain had to earn their hosts' invite to the London Olympics.

They didn't want the prospect of one of their 12 teams to be whipping boys - as Angola and Iran were at the Beijing Olympics.

Encouragingly, Great Britain's men's team reached their first EuroBasket finals in Poland last year. 

They lost all three group games - to Slovenia, Serbia and Spain - but were undoubtably hampered by the absence of their star players, including Chicago's Luol Deng. 

Although it's worth noting all who beat them progressed to the latter stages of the competition, and Great Britain even lead eventual champions Spain by four points during a frenetic final quarter.

Victory over Bosnia and Herzegovina tonight - who they beat 84-80 in Sarajevo earlier this month -  will secure Chris Finch's team a place in next year's finals.

And, after they failed to earn a wildcard to this week's World Championships, it will be their final chance to impress Fiba and secure their Olympic place.

"Bosnia and Herzegovina like all of the other teams in the group, they're capable of beating you if you're not ready," said Finch, whose side will also have the chance to qualify away in the Ukraine should they stumble in Liverpool.

"We need to do everything better, we need to compete better and do the little things well.

"We don't have a big margin for error, but we've played hard throughout and that's why we've won as many as we have. We need to get back to doing that."