“I told guys, there is enough time for saving the match, do not be in a hurry and do you best” – this is the words, what Davit Ustiashvili head coach of Georgian National U-20 Basketball Team told the team 3 minutes before ending the match, when Georgians were loosing 64:70. Finally Georgian National Team managed to beat Czechs and went through division A of European Championship. After the match we contacted to Davit Ustiashvili, who is in Sarajevo..
–Congratulations. Your trained team achieved its goal…
–Our goal was maximum and everyone wanted to go through division A but let’s be realists and remember what was reality before leaving for Bosnia. We wanted to go through Elite but there was not big chance of it. Out goal was going through the group and then doing our best. Fortunately our maximum appeared going through division A. I would like to say thanks to my guys. They are heroes. We beat strong rival which deserved to go trough Division A.
–What did you say guys at the end of the match when you were loosing and then managed to equalize and finally won.
–When Czechs advanced 70:64 of course I took a time-out and I said guys: 3 minutes are too much. In basketball in three minutes you can do a lot of things especially equalization of 6 points is not difficult. I just prohibited them to take penalty kick, because we had four penalty kicks and rival was performing each personal kick from penalty area.
–In decisive moment, Tornike Shengelia justified leader’s functions…
–Czech team was the tallest team at the tournament. In the last quarter their centre forward Andrey Balvin 215 centimeter got personal foul. Fortunately Tornike scored very necessary kick. On expense of him we got advantages and finally won.
–you achieved the main goal, final is ahead…
–In case of winning the final, it will be very good, but failure will not be pitiful for me. We achieved the main goal -Georgia is in division A.
–By the way Georgian age team went through division A twice in five years and both times you were head coach of the team…
– I am a happy, that while my managing the team went through Elite. In 2006 when I was head coach of Georgian U-18 Team we went through division A. Then there were the following players in the team: Viktro Sanikidze, Giorgi Tsintsadze and some other strong players. This time U-20 team went through division A which is a serious success.
–What can you say about Tornike Shengelia, who played the biggest role in success of Georgian National U-20 Team?
–Shengelia is a real professional and to my mind he should become the best player of this tournament. I do not like to distinguish anyone because I think that basketball is team sport. But I have to admit that Tornike Shengelia played the biggest role in our success. Other members of our team also played well and finally we achieved such success.
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