Igor Kokoskov chairman of Georgian national basketball team met reps of mass-media at “Courtyard Marriott” Hotel. He summarized qualifying European championship matches and answered questions of journalists.

Igor Kokoskov:” thanks for coming. The reason of our meeting is summarizing the first circle of European qualifying round. It is good to discuss problematic things together and to answer your questions. We had really difficult two weeks and more difficult two weeks are ahead us. In a word, we are participating at the tournament which has the most difficult schedule, losing even one game means a lot. Fortunately, we have three victories and one failure and if someone offered such results before starting the tournament I would accept it with great pleasure. Each match finished with different way. Unfortunately we lost with Holland. But look through the tournament situation. Serbians lost home matches with Montenegro and away match with Israel. Israel won away match over Estonia. Turkey is finalist of the previous World Championship and lost two matches from 4. Our group is strong and there is another kind of situation than in division B for example. We have to do our best in rest matches, now our goal is to mobilize and do our best against Romania. Our future opponent is a strong team, it really does not have distinguished individualists, but this team plays team basketball. As far as you know, Zaza Pachulia returned us after serious injury, Giorgi Shermadini and Giorgi Tsintsadze also are suffering from some injuries. Viktor Sanikidze is also injured but if it is possible he will play against Romania. Now our goal is our players to keep fit”.
- What about Anatoly Boisa, Levan Patsatia and other substitution players?
- We play each match according to our tactic which is created before the match. Sanikidze missed the match against Holland, who spends average 30 minutes in the match. In such case we have to use the guys who you had mentioned. If you noticed, Pachulia and Shermadini were playing at the same time, what had never happened before.
- Rejuvenating of the team was names the main reason of staying Tskitishvili and Gamkrelize beyond the national team, but watching matches I do not have such impressions..
-Every coach and so do I have my view of basketball. After ending the season I arrived in Italy, where I talked to coaches of Sanikidze, Markoishvili and Shermadini. During the whole season Viktor did not play as No.3, he used to play in No.4 position. Sanikidze had brilliant season and he was named as the best No.4 player of Apennine. In a word, Sanikidze is an universal basketball player and he can neutralize each basketball player.  Besides this there must be such 12 such players in the team who understand each other very well and not the best 12 players. In our team Tornike Shengelia and Nika Metreveli play as No.4 player. In a word, we have high-class players in this position. If I called up Boisa and Tskitishvili, they would play only for five minutes. I see Tornike Shengelia in this position, when Tornike was young, Tskitishvili and Boisa used to play in this position. Once, Vova could not arrive and Shengelia was playing for the team. He became a brilliant basketball player and he is still progressing. Toko maximally must be used in the team. In the last European Championship he was playing as No.3 player with Boisa. To say it in a short way, when I made decision I paid attention to professionalism, nothing personal. To my mind it will be more profitable for our team.
- Our team loses the second periods…
- I make decisions in each match and take a risk. Risk accompanies everything. Besides this I am not leader of the team, leaders are players. The match lasts for 40 minutes and the main is the final success. I am not going to change anything in the upcoming matches.
- What is the reason of weaker playing in the second period, tactic, psychology or physical readiness?

- As far as you know Zaza joined us late. He was suffering from trauma and he also had some family problems. Before the first official match Pachulia had held only seven trainings and his determination must be appreciated.  Shermadini also was injured, Pullen also joined us late, as for Shengelia he was tired after two camps. Last year there was different situation- at the first meeting there was the whole staff. Now our goal is keeping power till the end. We have to do everything that our team to rest before this match. Supposedly in the rest matches we will have to fight against zone, because our opponents gave a lot of problems to us with this component.
- You also say that we have problems in defense….
- Mentality of Georgian players is shown during the match with doing their best in the match. In this qualifying round, we met different kind of teams. Some of them are strong at some basketball components, others are strong at other components. We used to change our defense in each match and it is not easy.  There were mistakes in defense and we have to improve it. But in spite of mistakes, we won three matches from four.
- What is satisfying result in the second circle for you?
- Our goal is to gain right of participation at European Championship, we have to hold next press-conference in Slovenia.
- When rejuvenating process is underway in the team, it would be better if you attended Super League matches of Georgia..
- Due to working for NBA I cannot do it. I trust my assistants and if we have success it is their merit too. Every year we invite players from youth team and we search relevant candidates from national team. Those five players who were invited this year, did not stay in this team. I hope there will be prospective players in the future too.
- After victory you do not appear at the press-conference. If we win over Bosnia, will you keep you tradition again?
- We, coaches are superstitious people and we do not like to change some habits.  Most of the players of Georgian national team work abroad and they do not spend a lot of  time in homeland and during these matches local journalists have chance of communication with them. I am not leader of the team. Leaders are basketball players and it is better mass-media to talk to them after victory. So if we beat Bosnia, you will not see me at the press-conference again. In case of failure, I am ready to answer all of our questions. Actually, duty of the journalists is to analyze and criticize chairman. I do not dictate anything, just I will give you one advice- we have to have only positive relationship with each other. Georgian national team is like a family for us. Each family has its bad and good days. We try to win all the matches and believe, we really do our best for it.

 

 Gocha Kacharava