Spain is on track to remain a world class women’s basketball power, at least according to senior national team star Nuria Martinez.

Martinez, a self confessed basketball nut, made the trip to Tenerife to keep an eye on the future of the Spanish game at the Umcor U18 European Championship Women.

		Nuria Martinez

“There was never a European Championship for girls here in Spain. I love basketball and I want to see it because I like to see the young players,” said Martinez in an interview with fibaeurope.com.

Martinez herself knows what it takes to win at every level.

She led Perfumerias Avenida to a Spanish Championship in 2006 and, at the age of just 22, has already won two EuroBasket Women bronze medals.

She also won a gold medal in 1999 with the Spanish U16 Women’s side, an experience which she still cherishes.

“It was very nice, a dream for me. I was one year younger than all the other players and for me it was, wow, a dream, to play with older players and win a gold medal,” she said.

Spain are one of the favourites to win a medal in Tenerife and Martinez recognizes plenty of potential among a team which won U16 gold in 2004 and 2005.

“It’s a very good team with great potential. They have big players that can play outside and I think they will be good players in the future, both in the first league in Spain or in other countries.”