The president of the Spanish basketball association, Jose Luis Saez, has praised the national women's team after they booked their place in the last four of the EuroBasket with a
69-50 victory over Latvia.

Spain convincingly saw off their Baltic opponents in the quarter-finals, opening up a 20-12 lead at the end of the first period and holding onto their advantage until the buzzer.

The win means Spain have also qualified for next year's FIBA World Championships in Brazil, and a proud Saez said: "They (Spain) have completed their objective from the start of the tournament and managed this in sensational style.

"To qualify for the World Championships was a complicated challenge and it is a task that top sides in Europe like Serbia & Montenegro (who failed to progress from their group) are not going to achieve.

"Since 2001, Spain has not missed any big women's basketball tournaments and with the security of being in Brazil, the objective now is to reach the 2008 Olympics.

"It is a team that has its own style of play, lots of character and plenty of confidence. There is no doubt that we have great individuals but the most important thing is that we are a group."