Estonian basketball celebrated its centenary on June 6 of this year. To commemorate the 100 years of basketball in the country, the Basketball Association, in cooperation with it's Latvian and Lithuanian counterparts, will host the Baltic Chain tournament in Tallinn on July 24-26.

Jaak Salumets, president of the Basketball Association, sent a letter to culture minister Tõnis Lukas (Isamaa), in which he noted the tournament being the most important event of the celebrations. With the tournament, the Estonian Basketball Association also wants to lay the foundation for cooperation with their Baltic partners for the future.

Salumets asked Lukas to support a review of restrictions currently set on public events. The capabilities of Saku Suurhall to distance people was also brought out.

Salumets said: "The Estonian Basketball Association is requesting raising the limit on guests at the Baltic Chain tournament to 1,500, which still maintains close to half of the 50 percent capacity limit currently set. 1,500 spectators is just 23 percent of Saku Suurhall's possible 6,448."

He added that the organizers can follow the requirements set on distancing, meaning spectators would be seated on different levels. Each level has its own entrance and separate ventilation and other necessary infrastructure.

The last time the teams met in Tallinn (1998), Estonia had to accept a 91:60 loss. In 2015, a close game ended with a 64:62 victory for Lithuania.

The Latvian national team last played in Estonia in 2014, with the home team winning 72:60.

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