Georgian basketball

[rikhardur]

My question is why is Georgia still in the 2nd division of European basketball?
I mean, they have good enough players like Boisa, Markoishvili, Natsvlishvili, Pachulia or Tskitishvili to make the leap, why haven't they done it yet

[usausa]

The country probably doesn't put money or funding in for the team to have prpoer facilities and equipment.
Thats just my assumption.

[LuDux]

Basketball Alive and ‘Dribbling’ in Georgia
12 September 2004

Over 50,000 basketball fans across Europe followed their countries this weekend in the second day of qualifying for the 2005 European Championship for Men.

6,000 turned up in Istanbul to watch Turkey take on Estonia in Group E of qualifying, but the record attendance went to Georgia, where 10,000 fans watched their team battle Finland in Tbilisi. It is the first time in 3 years that the Georgian has competed in official European competition.

Georgia emerged from the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991, and in 13 years, this country of just under 5 million people has had a significant impact on the basketball world.

Despite having such a small population, Georgia can boast 3 NBA players and several others who have made their marks in Europe’s elite leagues. Zaza Pachulia, Nikoloz Tskitishvili and Vladimir Stepania are all plying their trade in the NBA and will soon be joined by the 18-year old Viktor Sanikidze, who was selected by the Atlanta Hawks in this year’s draft.

Pachulia and Tskitishvili were both on national team duty against Finland, and Pachulia played a key role, contributing 30 points and 12 rebounds in Georgia’s 85-78 win.

FIBA Europe Executive Director Nar Zanolin was in Tbilisi on an official visit and impressed with what he saw.

“The game was really a great event,” said Zanolin

“The official attendance was 10,000 but there was more like 12,000, the fans were really packed in. It is great to see basketball doing so well here and the level of the game tonight was really high.”

As well as Pachulia, Georgia got an encouraging display from the 18-year old Manuchar Markoishvili, who made his debut for the senior national team. Markoishvili, who starred along with Sanikidze on this summer’s U18 team, scored 12 points and grabbed 6 rebounds in his first ever official game with Georgia.

The Georgian National Federation have also been enterprising in their search for new talent. Thanks to a strong friendship with Pachulia, Georgia has recruited New Orleans Hornets point guard Shammond Williams to play for their national team. Williams has pledged to play for the team until the 2007 European Championship.

Georgian law states that citizens may not hold dual nationality unless a special presidential dispensation is granted. Williams is one of the 3 citizens of Georgia (President Mikheil Zaakashvili is another – he has Georgian and US passports) to receive this honour.

His presence has been a valuable one and in 40 minutes of court-time against Finland, the point guard scored 19 points and dished 10 assists to his new team-mates.

Georgia will play FYROM in their next national team game on 15th September and are one of the favourites to earn promotion to Division A, which would give them the chance to qualify for the 2007 European Championship.

http://www.fibaeurope.com/cid_f43ulK...leMode_on.html

[Civilis]

In fact, Geogria has one of the greatest traditions in basketball in Europe. The thing called "Soviet basketball" basically was built on the foundations of Latvians, Lithuanians and Georgians (esp. in 50s-60s).

The Georgian club Dynamo Tbilisi was even the strongest European club and numerous champion of USSR, but that was a long time ago...

I'd really love the Georgians tradition to come alive again - it is not their place to be playing countries like Austria...

[rikhardur]

Originally Posted by Civilis

In fact, Geogria has one of the greatest traditions in basketball in Europe. The thing called "Soviet basketball" basically was built on the foundations of Latvians, Lithuanians and Georgians (esp. in 50s-60s).

The Georgian club Dynamo Tbilisi was even the strongest European club and numerous champion of USSR, but that was a long time ago...

I'd really love the Georgians tradition to come alive again - it is not their place to be playing countries like Austria...

That's right. So was it the collapse of the Soviet Union that made Georgian basketball absolutely sink? Was there a general discoordination in the world of Georgian basketball when that happened? I guess the explanation must lay in things which are not directly connected to basketball, since as we all know Georgia has top players.

Originally Posted by usausa

The country probably doesn't put money or funding in for the team to have prpoer facilities and equipment.
Thats just my assumption.

Perhaps you have a point there usausa.

[Digdis]

Originally Posted by rikhardur

That's right. So was it the collapse of the Soviet Union that made Georgian basketball absolutely sink? Was there a general discoordination in the world of Georgian basketball when that happened? I guess the explanation must lay in things which are not directly connected to basketball, since as we all know Georgia has top players.

That's the point indeed. In the soviet union days, Geogia was one of the wealthiest states in the union, as it was was one of the most favorite places for tourism among the rest. Georgian sports teams of all kinds (specially soccer & bball) were pretty successful as a result. After the union breaksown, Georgia faced some tough times, including a major ecconomical crisis, wars (with Abhazia & South Ossetia) & mass corruption. This of course had its effect on sports as well.
In the recent couple of years they have been struggling to solve these problems (with some help from the west), having considerable success. I think they are really on the right path, and this can also return the Georgian sport, and especially the bbal, to its glory days.
I visited this country last year, and I must say it's a beautiful one, with a great success potential. They just have to keep rehabilitating the country as they do now, and I believe they can fulfil this potential.

[Saskibaloia]

Originally Posted by LuDux

Basketball Alive and ‘Dribbling’ in Georgia
12 September 2004

Over 50,000 basketball fans across Europe followed their countries this weekend in the second day of qualifying for the 2005 European Championship for Men.

6,000 turned up in Istanbul to watch Turkey take on Estonia in Group E of qualifying, but the record attendance went to Georgia, where 10,000 fans watched their team battle Finland in Tbilisi. It is the first time in 3 years that the Georgian has competed in official European competition.

Georgia emerged from the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991, and in 13 years, this country of just under 5 million people has had a significant impact on the basketball world.

Despite having such a small population, Georgia can boast 3 NBA players and several others who have made their marks in Europe’s elite leagues. Zaza Pachulia, Nikoloz Tskitishvili and Vladimir Stepania are all plying their trade in the NBA and will soon be joined by the 18-year old Viktor Sanikidze, who was selected by the Atlanta Hawks in this year’s draft.

Pachulia and Tskitishvili were both on national team duty against Finland, and Pachulia played a key role, contributing 30 points and 12 rebounds in Georgia’s 85-78 win.

FIBA Europe Executive Director Nar Zanolin was in Tbilisi on an official visit and impressed with what he saw.

“The game was really a great event,” said Zanolin

“The official attendance was 10,000 but there was more like 12,000, the fans were really packed in. It is great to see basketball doing so well here and the level of the game tonight was really high.”

As well as Pachulia, Georgia got an encouraging display from the 18-year old Manuchar Markoishvili, who made his debut for the senior national team. Markoishvili, who starred along with Sanikidze on this summer’s U18 team, scored 12 points and grabbed 6 rebounds in his first ever official game with Georgia.

The Georgian National Federation have also been enterprising in their search for new talent. Thanks to a strong friendship with Pachulia, Georgia has recruited New Orleans Hornets point guard Shammond Williams to play for their national team. Williams has pledged to play for the team until the 2007 European Championship.

Georgian law states that citizens may not hold dual nationality unless a special presidential dispensation is granted. Williams is one of the 3 citizens of Georgia (President Mikheil Zaakashvili is another – he has Georgian and US passports) to receive this honour.

His presence has been a valuable one and in 40 minutes of court-time against Finland, the point guard scored 19 points and dished 10 assists to his new team-mates.

Georgia will play FYROM in their next national team game on 15th September and are one of the favourites to earn promotion to Division A, which would give them the chance to qualify for the 2007 European Championship.

http://www.fibaeurope.com/cid_f43ulK...leMode_on.html

Great to see their NBA players showing some patriotism

[Civilis]

Originally Posted by rikhardur

That's right. So was it the collapse of the Soviet Union that made Georgian basketball absolutely sink? Was there a general discoordination in the world of Georgian basketball when that happened? I guess the explanation must lay in things which are not directly connected to basketball, since as we all know Georgia has top players.

Imho, it was a bit of everything. The collapse of Soviet system did not do much good to the sport systems in any of ex-Soviet republics (and not only in basketball..). The Lithuanian basketball system managed to survive and even flourish because we had a very good generation of players right before the fall of USSR plus the professional national league was established in 1993 which kept most mid-level players in Lithuania and enabled the young guys like Macijauskas or Siskauskas mature their skills.

The situation in Georgia was different. Of course, they had more military and economic problems. The Baltic transition was way less complicated. Another problem is that their level of basketball had passed its peak already in 70's and they only had a mediocre team (fighting for places 5-6 in USSR championship) when the Soviet empire errupted. So there was not so much of recent success to build upon (besides, unlike in Lithuania, football was always No.1 in Georgia). They had no real stars then, no finance and no proper organization.

But I truly hope that basketball will pick up in this country, because they do have the necessary roots!

[Zalgirinis]

FIBA-Europe boxscores says that vs games vs Luxembourg and Iceland in Georgia there were 10 000 spectators each time. Who buys such "fact"?

[rusher]

Originally Posted by Civilis

In fact, Geogria has one of the greatest traditions in basketball in Europe. The thing called "Soviet basketball" basically was built on the foundations of Latvians, Lithuanians and Georgians (esp. in 50s-60s).

The Georgian club Dynamo Tbilisi was even the strongest European club and numerous champion of USSR, but that was a long time ago...

I'd really love the Georgians tradition to come alive again - it is not their place to be playing countries like Austria...

Yes, Dynamo was great club as was ASK Riga and still is Žalgiris. Anyway estonians also played basketball very well. Maybe they weren't leaders but there were always one-two players who made an impact on USSR team. Estonians, Latvians and Lithuanians had strong competitions in early 30-s and in the 50s and 60s when Gomelski's ASK was at the best that Dynamo Tbilisi was very tough rival.

[LuDux]

Originally Posted by Zalgirinis

FIBA-Europe boxscores says that vs games vs Luxembourg and Iceland in Georgia there were 10 000 spectators each time. Who buys such "fact"?

You don't believe georgians are interested in their National Basketball Team wich plays 3 games every 2 years? Maybe you think they have other interesting things to do.

Tbilisi population: 1,35 mln people (> Vilnius + Kaunas + Klaipeda)

[Zalgirinis]

Originally Posted by LuDux

You don't believe georgians are interested in their National Basketball Team wich plays 3 games every 2 years? Maybe you think they have other interesting things to do.

Tbilisi population: 1,35 mln people (> Vilnius + Kaunas + Klaipeda)

I dont know should I believe. Its Luxembourg after all Two games in a row... so Im only asking...

[Civilis]

Originally Posted by rusher

Yes, Dynamo was great club as was ASK Riga and still is Žalgiris. Anyway estonians also played basketball very well. Maybe they weren't leaders but there were always one-two players who made an impact on USSR team. Estonians, Latvians and Lithuanians had strong competitions in early 30-s and in the 50s and 60s when Gomelski's ASK was at the best that Dynamo Tbilisi was very tough rival.

Well, Estonians have never been the true power in Soviet basketball... (the only time Kalev Tallinn became the Soviet champions was in 1990 (?) when the championship lost most of its star players, Zalgiris left USSR etcetc) I don't remember Estonians showing good results in the pre-war championships either... This is not to say the basketball in Estonia was weak, but it was never on a par with Latvia or Lithuania.

Looking at the history, the 50's was true Baltic domination in USSR - Zalgiris champion in 1951 and 1953, while ASK Riga was becoming a true European powerhouse of that time (Kalnins, Krumins...). The "Euroleague" champions in 1958, 1959, 1960 (defeat Dinamo Tbilisi in finals)...

Only in the early 60's CSKA begins to emerge as the leading "military" power inviting all the best players from USSR to the Soviet "military service".. In 1961 they defeat ASK Riga in the final of "Euroleague".

But in 1962 it is Dinamo Tbilisi that defeats Real Madrid and becomes Euro champion!.. They have a really strong team throughout 60's.

However, in the late 60's-70's onwards only some occasional wins by other teams against the CSKA Moscow - any emerging good player from other republics is invited to the Russian "army"

So the power in basketball is ceded to Moscow, basically until Zalgiris gets a new talented generation of players in the early 80's.

[usausa]

Off topic, but I heard that Tblisi Airport is a nightmare. Is that true?

[Digdis]

Originally Posted by usausa

Off topic, but I heard that Tblisi Airport is a nightmare. Is that true?

Not a nightmare, but it needs to improve. Certainly inadequate for the main entrance gate. They said it was going to be renovated - not sure if it was already done.
Problem actually is less with the airport itself, but more with getting along in the surroundings: Chances you get along without speaking Georgian or Russian are slim. Driving is almost impossible for foreigners (poor signs, dangerous roads, and Georgians driving like maniacs). Best policy is to have someone local to help you. They started some projects for improving the entire Georgian infrastructure (roads among the rest), but I guess it will take some time.

[BadMann]

Georgia will pick up sooner or later , they have long bball history ,

[rikhardur]

David Ustiashvili's team overcame Nugzar Cheishvili's team 134:118 in the All Star Game that was held in the capital of Georgia. It was a real show and a great event in the whole country. Both squads produced an offensive game and the majority of the players could contribute for the teams. Viktor Sanikidze (203-F-86, agency: Life Sports) top-scored for the winners with 41 points, 8 rebounds and 3 assists. He was named MVP of the Game proving his professional skills and abilities. Ledjava nailed 19, while Zviadi Babiashvili (200-F-78) scored 14. Matiashvili ended up with 29 points and 13 rebounds in the losing effort.
As for the game itself it saw Nugzar Cheishvili's team winning the opening quarter 37:35. They also controlled the rest of the first half and finished the second quarter with 32:27 advantage. Having however 7 points at the half time Nugzar Cheishvili's team could not keep the score for good. David Ustiashvili's team bounced back in the third quarter with 38:27. Another 34:22 stun the opponent as David Ustiashvili's team won the encounter.
In the Slam Dunk contest Viktor Sanikidze won the show being the best in Round 1 and the Final. David Berishvili was the best in the 3-pointer contest finishing with 20 points in the Final.

http://www.eurobasket.com/GEO/GEO.asp

[rikhardur]

Energy Invest Rustavi
MVP of 2007-08 Georgian Superleague Konstantine Tugushi (193-G-84) signed 1 year contract with Energy Invest Rustavi. This time one more Georgian is back from abroad Davit Ugrekhelidze came back from Bosnia to Energy. Giorgi Gamqrelidze (183-G-86) and Besik Lezhava (192-G-86) are remained in Davit Ustiashvili's roster for upcoming season as well. More transfer news will be announced soon for Energy Invest Rustavi as team management is planning to import some bosman and American players for Eurocup Challenge Elimination Round.

Avia Tbilisi
Anatoli Boisa (195-G-83, college: Lincoln Memorial) is first biggest signing by Avia Tbilisi this season. Soso Shermadini (208-C-86) is also in Moseshvili's team for upcoming season. Richard Matiashvili (209-C-89) and Giorgi Nikoladze (188-G-81) are staying in Avia Tbilisi this year as well. Levan Moseshvili (195-F-87) will probably announce the full roster soon but we shouldn't expect probably any foreigners in the team.

Maccabi Brinkford Tbilisi
European Star Giorgi Shermadini (216-C-89) after his wonderful U20 European Championships (21.5ppg, 10.5rpg, 3.7bpg, 72.3 FG%) will not stay in Georgia this season. There are some rumors that several Euroleague teams are trying to recruit him for next couple of years. Maccabi Brinkford Tbilisi will have very young team this year. Some of the players already announced: Davit Ioseliani, Zviad Antadze, Irakli Ivaneishvili (194-G-89), Zura Bibiluri (204-C-87) and Viktor Koguashvili (205-C-85).

TSU Tbilisi
Giorgi Markoishvili (200-G/F-83) is biggest signing by TSU Tbilisi this year. Other transfer news is not announced by TSU Tbilisi management so far but we should probably think that Mikheil Panchulidze (195-F-83) and Irakli Keidia (203-F-83) will be staying in the team as well.

Dinamo Tbilisi
Tato Tavartkiladze (-G) is a new PG for Dinamo Tbilisi. For Shooting Guard position Zaza Tsagareishvili has recruited Zurab Korkotadze (194-F-83) from Maccabi Brinkford Tbilisi.

http://www.eurobasket.com/Georgia/ba...?NewsID=142054

As stated, G. Shermadini won't play in Georgia, does anyone know of any rumours about his next club?

[rikhardur]

NTD moved from Baku to Tbilisi - Oct 8, 2008 (by Lasha Danelia)

Azerbaijanian professional basketball club NTD moved to Georgian Capital Tbilisi. The head coach Nugzar Kandelaki was coaching this team few years ago in Azerbaijan and won Azerbaijanian Championships. There were some rumors that the team might play FIBA EuroCup Challenge this year but as team owner Mr. Bakhram Abdinov stated the team has serious plans in the future. NTD brought its 4 Azerbaijanian National Team players: Tahir Bakhshiyev (199-F-82), Zaur Pashayev (184-G-83), Anar Sariyev (196-G-81) and Fuad Niftaliyev (178-G-80).

In the upcoming season unfortunantely our neighbor Azerbaijan has no basketball league any more. In the Caucasian region Georgia is the only one having own national championships while no Armenia and no Azerbaijan are having its championships.

http://www.eurobasket.com/Georgia/ba...?NewsID=143021

[rikhardur]

Some highlights of the NT and some player statements (in Georgian of course )