Idman.biz
It's hard to believe, but just 15-20 years ago, we had a men's basketball team. The team demonstrated a fairly high level of basketball and even won the 1st Islamic Games. Now, as the 6th Islamic Games are starting, our team has not been able to qualify for the competition based on the ranking. Why did this happen? Moreover, it is somewhat surprising, given that club basketball has been actively developing in our country in recent years.
It was with this question that Idman.Biz began an interview with one of the last representatives of the "golden age" of Azerbaijani basketball - currently the player-coach of the "Quba" basketball club, Zaur Pashayev.
- After all, we had no basketball at all for 10-12 years... Where should a competitive team have come from? Most of those who played before have already left the sport, or, like me and Fuad Niftaliyev (another member of the 2005 team, currently playing for "Sumgayit" - ed.), those who have not yet left the field remain. It will take several more years for young people to reach the required level. In the meantime, we cannot even participate in the tournament that we won 20 years ago - and in the same country. After all, the 1st Islamic Games were held in Mecca.
-By the way, our women's 3x3 basketball team is one of the favorites of the current Islamic Games. However, the men's team - the squad in which you also participated - won in this category at the Islamic Games held in Baku in 2017. Now we don't have a competitive team in this format either...
-At that time, I repeatedly suggested to the federation management to develop this type of basketball. Because it was already included in the program of the Olympic Games... But, unfortunately, no one listened to me.
- So how did it happen that Azerbaijan won the first Islamic Games when no one expected it?
- We didn't expect it ourselves (laughs). Even after defeating the favorites - the Moroccan team, we thought that we would reach the semi-finals at most. We only believed in the victory after the semi-final match in Iran - it was a very difficult game. In that match, everything was decided in the last seconds: after Alexander Ryndin's interception, I sent the ball into the basket. In the final, we confidently defeated the Algerian team.
- And the last question. There is great interest in basketball games in Baku. What is the situation in the regions? For example, is there fan support in Quba, where you are currently playing?
- You know, the situation is different in different regions. For example, our club used to be located in Jalilabad, and people came to the games regularly - hundreds of them. There was almost always great fan interest in our home games. But in Quba, unfortunately, there is no such interest. They simply don't show interest in basketball in this city - that's all. Frankly, it's very upsetting for me. After all, we play for the audience...
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