«Your victory in Perm is very important for the club and for me personally,» announced PBC CSKA general director Sergei Kushchenko to begin the meeting with the CSKA Reserves, who a few days earlier had won the DYUBL
Championship.
«Sure, our work this season started off a little chaotic, but we tried to create conditions for you to win. Believe me: I know what victory is. And I’m thankful to you for such results. But the most important thing is that
having won in Perm, you found out what it is to have a winner’s mentality. I’d like to note that today only two of you came to my office dressed in a suit and tie. I promise that next year each of you will have suits and red
and blue ties. Though you’ve earned them already.»
CSKA coach Pavel Googe passed on congratulations from Dusan Ivkovic and captain of the «varsity» team Evgeny Pashutin, who couldn’t come to congratulate the boys personally because of their preparation for the game
with Khimki. «Your victory is not just a one-time thing, but rather part of a larger program. It’s just one small step on your career ladder. It’s not time to celebrate. Get ready for hard work, training every day and for a strict
routine. Your success will follow.»
Head coach of the CSKA reserves Alexander Ponomarenko thanked the club management for the help given to the young team. «The boys felt your care and support. And regardless of some objective problems, you were able to bring out their potential in the important games. Everyone knows that our team only formed this year, but our work has already paid off.»
Sergei Kushchenko presented the players and coaches with presents and placed the cup they won in Perm next to the awards won by the older team. «This cub is no less important than the awards captured by the older team.
You are going to Barcelona with the professionals. There you will be playing with the reserve teams of the other Euroleague clubs competing in the tournament. You have a big responsibility. Remember, you’re representing CSKA. To be honest, it took me three months to understand what that means. And I would ask that you do the same. I would like to help you become professionals. So that we won’t be pushed down to 10th place at the World Championships.»
After the meeting with the general director, the captain of the Reserves, Yegor Vyaltsev, and head coach Alexander Ponomarenko answered questions for our site.
Yegor, you won, and that is great. But be honest: Did you have any problems?
«It took us a long time to come together, get used to the coach. But everything was fine by the final game. And if there were problems, then they weren’t significant ones. Regarding the games, our 31-point win speaks for itself. Though we could have played better.»
Now that you’re traveling to play the top European clubs, do you have any idea about the strength of your opponents?
«Not right now. I still don’t know whom we have to play. But I’m not worried. I’ve already played in international games, and I have an idea of how good our team is.»
When asked about the competition at the DYUBL championship, Alexander Ponomarenko noted that many of the teams’ rosters were «no weaker than CSKA’s, at the very least.»
Why did CSKA win then, if the opponents weren’t weaker?
«I saw what kind of conditions the other teams were working in. And again, I’d like to thank the club leadership. We were better in areas such as organization, motivation and responsibility.»
Be honest: Can you already call your players professionals?
«Not all of them. But some of the boys are already close. They have the correct approach to their work. And they are doing the necessary things to reach their goal: become basketball players. You have to like that.»
Some of your players are already playing with the professional team. Are any of them getting a superstar complex?
«In some cases. Practicing with Ivkovic, some of them look down a little bit on their work with Ponomarenko. But then we were able to come together and reach our goals. We started communicating well, and that produced results.»
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