A new basketball year has started. Looking back, the BBF traditionally reviews the results of the past 2021 and reveals what awaits us in the upcoming year.
100 YEARS OF BELARUSIAN BASKETBALL
On March 10, 2021 basketball we celebrate the centenary anniversary of the development of basketball in Belarus. A hundred years ago, there were no instructors, no sports grounds, no equipment, no inventory for the development of any kinds of sports other than Sokol gymnastics, athletics and fencing. This was discussed by the members of the Department of General Education of the Vitebsk Provincial Military Commissariat at the congress on March 10-11, 1921. It was proposed to include basketball in various programs and, at the same time, to change or reduce them depending on local environment. It was this congress that became the key moment in the development of the sport in the region.
As part of the celebration of the 100th anniversary of Belarusian basketball, the BBF has prepared special cups and medals for the champions and prize-winners of the women's and men's championships and national Cups of the 2020-2021 season.
On December 23, in the "Post Salon" of the Main Post Office in Minsk, an artistic stamped envelope and a special commemorative stamp, prepared in cooperation between the Belarusian Post and the BBF, were presented.
Minister of Communications and Informatization of the Republic of Belarus Konstantin Konstantinovich Shulgan, the President of the public association "Belarusian Basketball Federation" Maksim Vladimirovich Ryzhenkov and Olympic basketball champion Tatyana Mikhailovna Beloshapko took part in the ceremony of the solemn release of postal products.
In connection with the 100th anniversary of the development of the sport in our country, the National Bank of the Republic of Belarus has issued commemorative coins "Summer sports. Basketball".
With a view to rewarding for outstanding sports achievements in the sport of basketball or 3x3 basketball, for high achievements in the training of athletes of national teams, for merits in the development of basketball in the Republic of Belarus, for special merits in popularizing basketball and a healthy lifestyle, the Executive Committee of the BBF decided to establish badges of distinction and insignia badges.
In 2021, the awards were registered by the Ministry of Justice of the Republic of Belarus on the basis of the conclusion of the Heraldic Council under the President of the Republic of Belarus.
The coming year 2022 will continue the series of celebrations of the 100th anniversary.
A century ago, in 1922, a more consistent introduction of the game into the training programs began. On April 27, 1922, the Department of General Education of the Vitebsk Provincial Military Commissariat sent a sports and physical development plan for the summer period of 1922, which included basketball, to the sports centers of the province for steady implementation.
In May 1922, for the sake of game examination, the Department of General Education of the Vitebsk provincial Military Commissariat sent to the county sports centers "Guidelines and rules of basketball" (compiled by a teacher of gymnastics and sports, Comrade K. May), dimensions, the positioning of players, equipment of sports grounds. In accordance with it, on May 18, 1922, the Department of General Education of the Sennensky district Military Commissariat was the first to draw up a 6 weeks long program of sports and physical development classes for the summer period of 1922 with pre-conscripts born in 1902, 1903, 1904, 1905, amateur athletes and instructors of the Department of General Education. The program included 36 hours of basketball lessons, 27 hours of which were allocated for training, the rest of the time for studying the history of basketball, the rules of the game, the size of the court, racks, rims. The basketball registration was voluntary.
Thus, the first section, which was recorded in the documents appeared in the sports center of Sennensky district. By July 1, 1922, 12 people were playing basketball in the sports center of Sennensky County, and on October 10, 1922 – 18.
WOMEN'S NATIONAL TEAM IS IN THE TOP TEAMS SQUAD OF EUROPE AND THE WORLD
The women’s basketball team of Belarus was unanimously recognized by domestic journalists as the team of the year in Belarus.
In 2022, the women's National team took a relatively high fourth place at the FIBA Women's EuroBasket 2021, which was held from June 21 to 27 in Valencia, Spain. In November, the team won the two matches of the FIBA Women’s EuroBasket 2023 Qualifiers, beating representatives of the Czech Republic and the Netherlands.
And in November 2022, the National team will continue to compete in the FIBA Women's EuroBasket 2023 Qualifiers, the competitions of which are qualifiers for the 2024 Olympics.
According to the results of 2021, the women's National team under the leadership of Nataliya Trafimava ranks 11th in the world and 6th in the Europe.
MEN'S NATIONAL TEAM MOVES UP
As a result of the first qualifying round of the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023 European Qualifiers, which took place from November 22 to 30, the men’s National team under the leadership of Rostislav Vergun took first place in the group, having won the match with the team of Turkey in a home game that took place on November 25 in the Minsk’s Sports Palace with the support of the fans and viewers. In the away game, the men’s National team of Belarus lost to the team of Greece in a tense battle, but this could not affect the status of the leader of our squad. For the first time since 2015, the men's National team of Belarus ends the year in the 48th position out of 164. Adding three lines of the world ranks table and the 26th place in the European top list. Four years ago, the men's team was in the 92nd position, and today Rostislav Vergun's wards are confidently moving up. In the second round, the National team will play two matches against the team of Great Britain on February 25 and 28, 2022. The third qualifying round will take place in June this year.
In case of reaching the next round, the National team will have to play matches in August 2022.
THE BEST
The headcoach of the women's National team of Belarus and basketball club Horizont Natalia Trofimova and the coach of Tsmoki-Minsk and the men's national team Rostislav Vergun were recognized as the best coaches of Belarus by the end of 2021. Horizont’d center Anastasiya Verameyenka and Burgos forward Maxim Salash were recognized as the best basketball players of Belarus by the end of 2021. The traditional poll of specialists and journalists was conducted by Pressball.
YOUTH NATIONAL TEAMS OF THE REPUBLIC OF BELARUS
In 2021, two youth National U20 teams, which included the most promising players from 15 to 20 years old, competed in the final tournaments of the FIBA Youth European Challengers 2021, which, by the decision of FIBA Europe, replaced the Europe Cup due to the pandemic.
The men's National team, under the leadership of G. Kondrusevich, took second place at the tournament in Hungary, having lost only to the hosts during the competition.
The women's team, led by N. Kamenets, unfortunately, did not join the list of winners.
The U15 women's national team, under the leadership of T. Tsiruleva, won silver medals in the FIBA Skills Challenge, held under the auspices of the FIBA. Belarus is taking part in a new tournament of the International Basketball Federation for the second year in a row, the organization of which was caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2020, our U17 men's team entered the top eight strongest teams. In 2021, the U15 men's and women's teams successfully reached the qualification competitions and reached the final part, which took place in October 2021. 106 teams of young boys and girls under 15 representing 55 National Basketball Federations of the world have applied to participate in the regional qualifying competitions of this tournament. The competitions were umpired by the FIBA referees. In Belarus it was Andrei Sharapa who was appointed by the International Basketball Federation.
The year ended with the traditional basketball tournament in memory of Vladimir Ryzhenkov, where the U16 players made their debut. The awards for the first places remained in Belarus, and the guys continued to prepare for the continental championships.
In 2022, four teams will compete at the Youth Europe Cups:
boys U16, Division B - August 12 - 22, 2022. (Bulgaria);
boys U18, Division B - July 30 - August 7, 2022 (Romania);
girls U16, Division B - August 19 - 27, 2022 (Bosnia and Herzegovina);
girls U18, Division A - August 6 - 14, 2022 (Greece).
3X3 BASKETBALL
The Belarusian women's 3x3 team has received the right to compete at the Olympic Qualification Tournament and compete for the opportunity to get to the Tokyo 2020 Games. This tournament was held from May 26 to 31, 2021 in Graz, Austria. Our team successfully passed the group stage and reached the quarterfinals, where it lost to the team of the USA, staffed by top basketball players of the women's NBA. In 2021, 3x3 youth teams won 5 medals at prestigious international competitions.
The U18 men's team, under the leadership of S. Lashkevich, won the bronze medal of the World Cup, which took place from August 24 to 29 in Debrecen, Hungary, and this is the first medal of the World Cup in the history of domestic 3x3 basketball.
Palina Kastsiukavets became the silver medalist in the competition of individual basketball skills at the U18 World Cup.
The girls from the U17 national team, under the leadership of A. Navoychik, took third place in the Europe Cup, which was held from September 17 to 19 in Lisbon, Portugal.
The men's and women's U23 teams, led by Koltunov D., and Volk Y., took bronze at the 2021 CIS Games, which were held from September 4 to 11 in Kazan, Russian Federation.
11 athletes of youth 3x3 basketball teams who won medals at the World and Europe Cups and entered the list of the finalists of planetary and continental forums have become the holders of the Presidential Sports Club scholarship in 2022. The head coach of the national women's 3x3 team Andrey Andreevich Navoychik is also among the fellows.
To popularize this type of basketball in Minsk, 5 rounds of the National League of the Republic of Belarus 3x3 "PALOVA" are held annually in the summer. In the summer, on the site of the indoor mobile skating rink near the Sports Palace, training sessions of national and youth teams are held, as well as training of amateur athletes. In Minsk, a professional 3x3 court is also installed at the Dynamo stadium and is very popular with basketball fans.
The men's and women's national teams will compete for entry into the main part of the Europe Cup in June 2022 and the U17 youth teams in August.
The men's and women's U18 teams will compete in the World Cup final in Hungary, on August 23-28.
On July 11, 2021, a three-point shooting competition was held at the Prival recreation center, which was attended by both professional basketball players, as well as amateurs. In total, 52 men and 26 women came to the court that day to test their skills.
THE BELARUSIAN BASKETBAL CUP
To promote basketball, the final play-off matches among women's and men's teams of the 2020/2021 season were held by the decision of the Executive Committee of the Federation in the sports complexes of Republican State School of Olympic Reserve (women's teams), Falcon Club Arena (Minsk) and “Olimpiets” Sports Complex (Mogilev), which are capable to host a sufficient number of fans in compliance with all anticovid measures to prevent the spread of coronavirus infection.
Tsmoki-Minsk and BC Horizont won the championship title. The same teams became winners of the Belarusian Basketball Cup in 2021.
All 310 matches of the national championships were broadcast on SportTV, and the final of the men's championship and the Cup traditionally Belarusian viewers were able to see on the TV channel "Belarus 5".
In the 2021/2022 season, 11 men’s and 8 women’s teams take part in the Belarusian Basketball Cup.
BELARUSIAN CLUBS AT THE WORLD ARENA
In 2021, Tsmoki-Minsk and Horizont represented Belarus in the FIBA EuroCups.
Horizont won the final four of the European Women's Basketball League (EWBL), which took place in Molodechno. Tsmoki-Minsk continues its performance in the VTB United League. And Borisfen started in the North European Basketball League.
CHILDREN’S COMPETITIONS
Children's competitions among boys and girls are regularly held in Belarus: the Championship of the Republic of Belarus, the Children's and Youth Athletic Contest of Sports Schools, the Olympic Youth Days, the School Sports and athletic contest.
The “Slodych” сhildren and youth basketball league is one of the most popular tournament that takes place throughout the year from October to May. This tournament helped to start their career in sports those who now defend the honor of our country at tournaments of the top level.
In the XXIV season of the “Slodych” Children and youth basketball league take part a record number of 105 teams, which is more than 1700 participants.
In the 2021-2022 season, boys can win the League award in four categories (U12, U14, U16, U17) and girls in three (U12, U14, U16).
For more than 20 years now children’s teams of basketball clubs and Specialized Children and Youth Sports School of the Olympic Reserve successfully take part in the European Youth Basketball League (EYBL) and European Girls Basketball League (EGBL) while constantly winning the contests and gaining competitive practice before the performances at the Europe Cups.
More than 30 teams from Belarus, Russia, Ukraine, Slovakia, Sweden, Finland, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, Holland, Luxembourg, Romania, Poland take part in the League competitions, which are held under the aegis of the European Basketball Federation.
Every year around 15 of our teams representing Tsmoki-Minsk, Horizont, Prinemanie, Republican State School of Olympic Reserve (RSSOR) and Grodno State School of Olympic Reserve take part in the tournament, which is an important step of player’s training for playing in the Europe Cups in the age groups U16, U18, U20, as well as in the Youth Europe Cups of 3x3 as part of the national teams of Belarus.
INTERNATIONAL PROJECTS FOCUSED ON DEVELOPMENT OF THE RESERVE
Belarusian Basketball Federation (BBF) with the help of FIBA Europe yearly implements the "Her World, Her Rules" campaign to develop women's basketball in the Republic of Belarus from 2019. This project is aimed at involving girls in sports, improving the skills of training players, developing the professional skills of coaches, managers, referees. 16 girls from the list of participants according to the results of the camps held within the framework of the joint project of the BBF and FIBA Europe "Her World, Her Rules", since September 2020 have been enrolled in the RSSOR as candidates for the national team of Belarus U14.
The program of women’s basketball development "Her World, Her Rules" is available for realization on all continents from 2021.
Campaign "Her World, Her Rules" is considered to be one of the successful initiatives of the European Basketball Federation (FIBA Europe). The project helps national federations in their quest to develop women's basketball in their countries.
Noting the successful and productive work on the implementation of the project on the territory of our country, the high level of organization of events within the framework of this campaign, the scale and colorfulness of branding, as well as interest from the media, the European Office of the International Basketball Federation (FIBA Europe) decided to continue working together with the BBF on the issue of support and promotion of girls and women in the European basketball community in 2020-2021, and as a face of the world program was chosen Varvara Pleskachevskaya from Gomel.
A project for the development of children's basketball "Modern Basketball Movement. Step into the Future" is under realization with the support of FIBA Europe since 2017.
Another round of the project "Step into the future" was held in 2021. The target audience was mentors working with young basketball players.
The huge FIBA Europe and BBF event covered all regions of our country. Practical and theoretical classes were conducted under the guidance of Serbian specialist Zlatan Presic, assistant coach of the women's National team of Belarus and coach of BC Horizont. In total, 7 regional stages and 1 republican final took place. 170 athletes and 350 coaches participated in the event.
The supervisors of the projects are the head coaches of the national teams Natalia Trofimova and Rostislav Vergun, Serbian specialist Zlatan Presic.
UNIVERSITY BASKETBALL
The BBF actively participates in the popularization of basketball among students, being one of the organizers of basketball and 3x3 basketball competitions within the framework of the Republican Universiade of Universities.
Since October 2021, the national youth team, which was formed on the base of Tsmoki-Minsk (coach – Kondrusevich, G.), successfully competes in the top division of the Russian Student League of Russian Railways.
The winners of Republican Universiade of Universities and 3x3 basketball became the Yanka Kupala State University of Grodno (women) and the Belarusian State University of Informatics and Radioelectronics (men).
VETERANS
On the initiative of Andrey Olbrecht, the Master of Sports of the USSR, silver medalist of the Youth European Championship 1990, and with the support of the BBF, a tournament among basketball veterans took place in Osipovichi, in which four teams from Minsk, Svetlogorsk, Zhlobin, Osipovich took part in January 2021.
The commission of veterans of the BBF is actively working. In December, the traditional greetings of basketball masters on the upcoming New Year holidays took place.
TRAININGS OF REFEREES
Among the priorities of the Republican Board of Referees is building a clear officiating structure in the BBF, training high-quality young professionals, as well as a worthy representation of our country in the international sports arena. In 2021, meetings and consultations were held with representatives of FIBA Europe and the Russian Basketball Federation, as well as international refereeing seminars.
In the summer of 2021, our referees and commissioners were widely in demand for servicing matches of various world and European tournaments. This fact confirmed the high level of professionality and competence of representatives of the Belarusian officiating school and also gives reason to believe that in the new season they will get even more opportunities for growth and development in this area.
For example, Andrei Sharapa, the referee from Belarus, worked at the FIBA Women's EuroBasket 2021 in Valencia, Spain and Strasbourg, France, as well as at the FIBA Youth European Challengers 2021 (Group D) in the Hungarian city of Sopron. In addition, during the period from August 7 to August 15, 2021, the Belarusian referee officiated the FIBA U19 Basketball World Cup 2021 in Debrecen, Hungary. In November 2021, the referee officiated the qualification matches of the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023 European Qualifiers in Nuremberg, Germany and Mons, Belgium, as well as the FIBA Women's EuroBasket Qualifiers 2023 in Kiev, Ukraine and Izmit, Turkey.
Lizaveta Famina received FIBA nomination for two women's tournaments – the FIBA U20 European Challengers 2021 (Group C) in Konya, Turkey and the FIBA U18 European Challengers 2021 (Group D) in Sofia, Bulgaria. In addition, in November, the Belarusian referee officiated the FIBA Women's EuroBasket Qualifiers 2023 match, which was held in the Moscow. Meanwhile, her colleague Irina Konon officiated the matches of the FIBA U18 European Challengers 2021 in Group A in Riga, Latvia.
Commissars Dmitry Lvovich and Yuri Volk worked at the FIBA U20 Men’s European Challengers 2021 in Group A (Brno, Czech Republic) and U16 in Groups D and E (Sofia, Bulgaria), respectively.
In Tbilisi (Georgia), Henrikh Bekish was represented as a commissioner at the FIBA U16 Women’s European Challengers 2021, and Peter Ivashkov was represented as a referee.
Throughout the season, Belarusian referees are regularly involved in servicing FIBA Champions League matches, FIBA Cups, women's Euroleague and other tournaments under the aegis of FIBA and FIBA Europe.
9 Belarusian referees have FIBA refereeing licenses. Three commissioners and six referees received FIBA licenses for the period 2021-2023.
Henrikh Bekish, Dmitry Lvovich and Yuri Volk will continue to work as commissioners at competitions held under the aegis of the International Basketball Federation.
Pyotr Ivashkov and Andrey Sharapa have received black licenses, which will allow them to work as field referees at all official and friendly matches held under the aegis of FIBA (children's, adult, club tournaments, as well as competitions involving national teams).
Elizaveta Fomina and Irina Konon are holders of green licenses that give the right to work only at women's competitions under the aegis of FIBA.
Denis Matsulevich and Maxim Trotsky received FIBA (white) licenses for the first time in their careers and will now be able to officiate international children's competitions, as well as friendly matches of clubs and national teams.
The license period is from September 1, 2021 to August 31, 2023.
TRAINING OF SPECIALISTS
This academic year, 19 coaches of national teams and youth sports schools are improving their qualifications at the Higher School of Coaches of Belarusian State University of Physical Culture (BSUPC). Also, 2 specialists are taking courses under the program of the International Basketball Federation.
BBF pays particular attention to the coaches who work in the initial training groups, as well as in the Olympic reserve schools. Incentive and stimulus moves have been developed.
Scholarships of the Presidential Club in 2022 will be given to children's basketball coaches Alexey Evgenievich Mobitel (Youth sports school of the Volozhinsky district) and Grigory Valeryevich Kolb (Youth sports school of Pinsk).
Three representatives of BBF were trained at the Russian International Olympic University in the direction of the National Olympic Committee (NOC) of Belarus.
Representatives of the BBF Marina Kress and Anna Maklakova successfully completed FIBA TIME OUT 2.0 courses.
Belarusian basketball players took part in the first national forum of athletes. The event for athletes was held at the headquarters of the NOC of Belarus from April 23 to 24, 2021.
Such representatives as Anastasiya Verameyenka, Volha Ziuzkova, Yulia Rytsikava, Victoria Hasper, Nataliya Trafimava, Marina Kress and Alexander Kudryavtsev also took part in interactive training seminars with elements of expert discussion.
During two days, the participants held a number of training events aimed at acquiring new knowledge in the field of career management and developing their practical skills to use tools aimed at building a successful career and promoting a personal brand after completing active performances in sports.
SPORT FOR ALL
Special project of Belarusian Basketball Federation and Presidents Sports Club (PSC) “Orange Ball” was created in 2015 with the aim of equipping all sports schools of the Republic of Belarus with basketball departments with balls. Along with the presentation of the inventory, well-known coaches and athletes conduct master classes for young athletes.
In total, during the implementation of the project, more than 9,000 balls and 134 mounted basketball backboards were transferred to sports schools. In 2021, a joint project of the BBF and the PSC "Sport for All" was implemented, during the work of which streetball and 3x3 basketball courts were opened in Minsk on Pobediteley avenue. There are basketball backboards for both the youngest players and professional athletes on the court.
In 2022, more than 2000 balls of excellent quality will be sent to 28 sport institutions of Belarus among which are olympic reserve schools, youth sports schools, regional olympic reserve centers, physical culture and sports centers.
THE BBF MEETING HELD TO HEAR REPORTS AND ELECT NEW OFFICERS
On April 16, 2021, an extraordinary сonference of the BBF was held in Minsk in the conference hall of the Dynamo stadium, dedicated to the celebration of the 100th anniversary of Belarusian basketball.
38 representatives from the six regional departments of BBF and Minsk took part in the Conference. During an open vote, Maxim Vladimirovich Ryzhenkov was re-elected for a new four-year term by a unanimous decision of all the delegates present.
During the Conference, the members of the Executive Committee and the Audit Commission of the BBF were also elected by a unanimous decision of the delegates.
LOSSES OF 2021
In 2021 passed away:
- Mikhail Sagal, Honored Coach of Belarus;
- Anatoly Ladutko, ex-player of the national team of the BSSR and Minsk RTI;
- Evstafiy Edeshko, teacher of Yanka Kupala State University of Grodno, coach of the university's women's basketball team;
- Larisa Kosevich, children's basketball coach;
- Sergey Pastusiak, Master of Sports of the USSR.
At the beginning of 2022, Vladimir Petrovich Rasseko, the deputy president of the BBF, Honored Worker of Physical Culture and Sports, passed away.
19.01.2022
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