Dina Ulyanova: We will fight to defend the championship at the Islamic Games

Today, the 3x3 basketball competitions begin at the Islamic Solidarity Games in Riyadh. The Azerbaijani national women's team starts the tournament with the status of a two-time champion and aims to continue its success.

One of the most experienced basketball players of the team, Dina Ulyanova, shared her thoughts with Idman.Biz on the eve of the matches.

"The autumn part of the season is quite intense - we won silver medals at the European Championship and the World League final, and now the Islamic Games are next. We had a small break in the 3x3 competitions and we missed these games very much. Therefore, our mood is very good. The successful performance in September motivates us to finish the season at a high level. Therefore, the goal is to fight for the gold medal," Ulyanova emphasized.

She stated that the status of a two-time winner of the Islamic Games gives additional motivation before the start of the competitions. "Taking these achievements into account, we want to keep this title in our country for another four years. We understand that after the Konya Games, the level of 3x3 basketball has increased even more in all countries, so you cannot underestimate your opponents. But from the first game, we must show our professionalism and maintain this level until the end of the tournament. I think that is the key to success," Ulyanova added.

The basketball player also spoke about the regulations of the competition: "We will play three games in the group, after which two teams will advance directly to the semi-finals. There is no time to drag - a very intense struggle awaits us in three days. We know some opponents from previous tournaments, and the coach has prepared information about other teams. Everyone wants to win, but the winner will be the one who strives 100 percent for the gold medal every second," Dina Ulyanova concluded.

The Azerbaijani women's 3x3 national team - D. Ulyanova, as well as Aleksandra Mollenhauer, Brianna Freyzer and Tatyana Deniskina, will play two games in Riyadh today. First they will play against Saudi Arabia, then they will meet with Turkey.

Zeki Feyzullayev

Idman.Biz