In mid-December, the Winter 3×3 festival was held in Moscow, organized by the Department of Sports of the City of Moscow and the Street Basketball Association Streetbasket. More than 400 teams from 16 regions participated in tournaments of different age categories. The icing on the cake was the tournament of the strongest Russian teams – Grunis Cup (held in Moscow since 2011). This year, 11 of our clubs took part in it, which were joined by the Belarusian national team.
For the second year in a row, the Moscow team Baikal became the champions of the Grunis Cup, having beaten the COP Bad Boys (St. Petersburg/Bryansk) in the final. The strongest teams in Russia in recent years – Inanomo and Gagarin – stopped at the semi-final stage. It should be noted that Alexander Zuev, medalist of the 2022 Olympic Games in Tokyo, played in Gagarin. In an interview with Izvestia, the titled player summed up the results of the outgoing year.
“We are used to a busier schedule”
— What are your impressions from participation in “Winter 3×3”?
“Everything was well organized. Good big tournament. There were many children’s teams from different cities of Russia, almost all ages. Dunk contest, lots of spectators in the stands. Nice atmosphere, it was a pleasure to play.
— How is the level of competition?
– In principle, there were all the top Russian teams. So competitive practice was what you need.
– AT On the first day of Winter 3×3, there was a 3×3 Wrestball tournament (a new sport that combines elements of wrestling and basketball). Were you able to see?
— Could not attend the first day of the tournament. I heard a lot about Wrestball 3×3, but so far I have not had the opportunity to see it with my own eyes.
— In general, after the final of the Russian Championship in early May, did you have enough match practice this year?
— There were not so many games, we are used to a more intense schedule. We played the Spartakiad and the Cup of Russia. Street Basketball Association “Streetbasket” held several tournaments: Liga 33, Moscow Open, the same “Winter 3×3”. Thank them for this.
“Play two or three tournaments in different parts of the world”
— On January 27-28, Chelyabinsk will host the Russian Super Cup with the participation of Gagarin, Inanomo, Runa and TsOP Bad Boys. Are you preparing for this tournament now?
— Yes, this is the next competition. From December 30 to January 3 we will rest, and then we will return to training.
— Are you aiming to win?
– We set the goal of winning any tournament. The main thing is that everyone is healthy.
— Does your Olympic team partner Stanislav Sharov continue to recover from injury?
– Unfortunately yes. We look forward to seeing him in the squad. The sooner this happens, the better for us. Stas is an important element of the team, but it is important not to rush here. So that there is no recurrence of the injury. So as much as necessary, let so much be treated.
— Do you continue to watch the World Tour after the ban of Russian teams?
– I watched the World Tour Superfinal. If possible, and “Masters”, if they took place in our time zone.
— When Gagarin participated in the World Tour, was the schedule super busy?
– Until April, we laid the base, and then for almost eight months we traveled to competitions. In ten days they could play two or three tournaments in different parts of the world. Now there are noticeably fewer competitions, but there are also pluses. Now we have time to purposefully prepare for certain starts.
“They’re cutting all day”
— Was your match against Inanomo in the semi-final of the Russian Championship in Chelyabinsk (21:19 in favor of the Moscow team) the coolest game this year?
– You can say that. At the Cup of Russia between our teams there was also a spectacular final, which, unfortunately, we also lost. Inanomo has a gold double this year. Well done guys, they played very well.
— Inanomo General Manager Anton Gorodzhiy told usthat Japanese 3×3 EXE League, Chinese SINA League, Indian 3BL, Chooks-to-Go in the Philippines are perhaps the coolest tournaments in the world. Do I understand correctly that if we move to the Asian confederation, then we will have a high level of rivalry in 3×3 basketball?
– That’s right. There is a good level, strong teams. It will be interesting to compete with them, if everything works out that way.
— Did you communicate with the RBF 3×3 basketball department regarding the prospects for participation in the qualifications for the 2026 Olympics?
– Honestly, I didn’t communicate, it’s better to forward this question to them. For my part, I hope that there are such chances. I really want to play in the second Olympics.
— Have you ever thought about returning to 5×5 basketball after all these events?
– Personally, I don’t. There is confidence that sooner or later we will start playing in the international arena.
— Street basketball centers are opening all over the country. For example, you attended the opening of a site in Tyumen. Do you feel the demand for 3×3 basketball among young people?
Yes, and it’s a pleasant surprise. In the regions I saw a lot of 13-14, 15-year-old guys who are sincerely interested in their development. Chop all day long. It’s very cool when in your city there is a site with good coverage, cool rings. You can come here and spend the whole day with friends.
— When you started playing 3×3 basketball in 2017, was this not the case?
— There were two specialized grounds for street basketball in Moscow. There were practically no such sites in the regions. The situation has changed in recent years.
— Did success at the 2022 Olympics help this?
– Undoubtedly. The overall level of organization has grown significantly. There are more professional teams all over Russia.
— Do you communicate with the guys from the Olympic team who play in Super League clubs (Kirill Pisklov and Ilya Karpenkov)?
-Yes, sure. When they come to Moscow, we go to their matches. We support guys.
— Do you attend VTB United League matches?
“Never been there this year. But I often go to Super League matches. I mostly attend Khimki matches, it’s not that far from my house.
— What can you say about Andrey Maltsev’s team? Are you able to win the Super League this season?
– Let’s see, there are enough competitors, but Khimki has a good squad. I played with several guys when I was in the Superleague. Dmitry Korshakov competed with us in 3×3, we are on friendly terms with him.
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