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_f43ulKJBGLcVnbH-aqLVu2.teamID_2187.roundID_3768.compID_qMRZdYCZI6EoANOrUf9le2.season_2005.coid_C7zTNAHGGdsGB,7TtHKBH2.articleMode_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]

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.

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]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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.