ELKINSON: “We have a dream: to return European trophies to Zaporozhye”

President of the Zaporozhye Regional Basketball Federation Valery Elkinson Summarized the results of the first part of the season for BC Zaporozhye.

– Valery, at the beginning of the season you made predictions about BC Zaporozhye’s performance in the Super League and the Ukrainian Cup. The second round is already underway. Are you happy with the results?

– Yes, I am satisfied. Many experts predicted that we would be ninth or tenth, but we need work, system and team for the result. We have a very small staff: club president Viktor Stelmakov, chief accountant Tatyana Kozachenko and media director Roman Polyachenko. These people have been working for the benefit of Zaporizhzhya basketball for years, and thanks to this, we achieved the current result.

– Which matches did you like the most? Where did the team perform at its best?

– First of all, both matches will be played against Kharkov Falcons. Unfortunately, we lost the first match in overtime and won the second match by one point. These are important matches as the opponent’s head coach is our former mentor Valery Plekhanov. The matches were quite challenging and interesting.

– What about the matches against Dnepr?

– “Dnepr” is the leader of the championship today and so far it is difficult for us to fight with them. Our main duty now is to protect basketball in such difficult times. We plan to compete for medals in the future as well. We have a common dream with the city and regional authorities: to return the European Cup of basketball to Zaporozhye.

– How do you evaluate the role of American legionnaires in BC Zaporozhye?

– The team has a very good microclimate, foreign players are very well integrated into the team. They are the leaders of the team today. At the same time, you must understand that times are difficult and communicating with strangers in such conditions is a particular challenge. But despite all the difficulties, the team works in unity and produces results.

Captain Anton Buts plays a big role; He is a leader not only on the field, but also in the locker room, helping young people and communicating with foreign players.

– Anton Buts plays a very consistent game. Was he given any special assignments?

– Anton has been in our club for many years and is playing better every season. He has a strong character and he shows it in his matches. He manages the team; This is very important.

– How do young people express themselves?

– We are satisfied. Ilya Lishchina is our student who returned home after studying on the Dnieper. Vyacheslav Kiktev is a hardworking player, although there are some difficulties. We also signed another student, Alexander Petrenko, which allowed us to expand our squad.

– Where is it more difficult to play; In the Super League or the Ukrainian Cup?

– These are different tournaments. It is a cup elimination match. For years we had no luck in the draw; We reached Dnepr early. This year the draw was more favorable and for the first time in ten years BC Zaporozhye advanced to the Final Four. In the cup, everything is decided by a single match, while in the championship, the distance is longer.

– How do you evaluate the work of head coach Dmitry Shchiglinsky?

– Dmitry actively participated in the formation of the team, has his own vision of the game and tactics. We can say that he did the right thing with the choice of actors, including foreign actors. We try to create conditions where the team can work safely despite all the difficulties.