One of the key players for the Italian team Virtus, 33-year-old Achille Polonara, who was diagnosed with cancer for the second time last month, has spoken out for the first time about his condition that will prevent him from participating in EuroBasket 2025. The basketball player has been diagnosed with myeloid leukemia.

“I feel overwhelmed. After two years of battling a tumor, my world came crashing down when I found out I faced an even more serious illness.

I truly regret that I can’t be with the team right now, but I will definitely be the biggest supporter of the national team this summer. I have one more fight ahead of me, which I need to win, but if things go well for the Italian team, it will certainly give me more strength in my personal battle,” Polonara stated, according to Eurohoops.

In October 2023, the player underwent surgery for testicular cancer. Since 2023, he has been playing for Virtus. Previously, the athlete represented several clubs, including the Spanish team Baskonia, Turkey’s Fenerbahçe and Anadolu Efes, as well as Lithuania’s Zalgiris.