"I came to 3x3 basketball from the street"

The Russian U21 men's 3x3 basketball team won the FIBA Nations League, which was recently held in Tangshan, China. And thanks to this, she won a ticket to the U23 World Cup, which will be held in September in the same country. Our girls also qualified for the tournament. But the participation of Russian juniors and juniors in it depends on the decision of FIBA. Timofey Shikalov showed himself clearly in the men's team, who started the preseason with the main IBA squad and got the opportunity to gain a foothold in the United League club's roster. In an interview with Izvestia and Sport-Express, the 19-year-old defender talked about his path in sports, compared 3x3 and 5x5 basketball, and was slightly surprised by the admission of a hobby.

"Wrapping yourself in a flag after a victory is the best feeling"

— How do you like the overall tournament of the League of Nations?

— It's a wonderful tournament that will stay in my memory for the rest of my life. Excellent organizers who created maximum comfort for the players even in unpredictable weather. Wonderful fans who greeted me with open arms after every game and asked me to take a picture or leave an autograph. The wonderful people who surrounded me in the national team.

— Was it important to you that we played under our own flag?

- yes. Representing your country internationally is a big responsibility. It has always been an honor for me to wear the national team jersey. Only a few people have to defend the honor of their country, so this should be taken as seriously and responsibly as possible. But still, wrapping yourself in a flag after a victory is the best feeling.

— I noticed that the men's and women's teams supported each other in China during the tournament.

— Our team at this League of Nations was very united, everyone communicated well with each other, supported and supported each other. It's true that the girls were actively supported at the tournament, but it's worth paying tribute to the girls, they've never been inferior to us in support.

— What do you think about the potential admission to the September World Cup?

— I never think about what is beyond my control. I just love this game and I play wherever I get the chance. We all hope for the best.

— Tell me how you got into 3x3. What do you like more: classic basketball or its smaller counterpart?

— I came to 3x3 basketball from the street. It all started at the Brand New Park summer cottages in Yekaterinburg. A place where guys gather in the evenings, of a very good level, line up and ride 3x3 until nightfall. That's where they opened my eyes to the concept.: "No blood, no foul." As it is, it has become my place of power, and first of all, upon returning home, I fly there immediately. By the way, the reconstruction of BNP looks even better after that, so I invite everyone who has the opportunity to attend the opening in Pavlik Morozov Park.

And if we discuss which I like more — 3x3 or 5x5, then these are completely two different disciplines, with their own rules, tricks and tricks. But it's still basketball, a game that I love in any form. Therefore, for me, 3x3 helps to develop skills in 5x5, and 5x5 helps to implement a more detailed vision in 3x3.

"Now I have the wrong period of my career when I have to choose money"

Russian national team defender Vsevolod Ishchenko — about the NBA Summer League, the peculiarities of basketball in the USA and his impressions of Demin's game

"My parents met on the basketball court"

— Did you start preparing for the new season with the MBA foundation?

— Yes, I'm starting the season in the first team of the IBA, there is a lot of work to be done.

— How would you rate your chances to gain a foothold in the capital's team?

— I got a great chance to prove myself. Competition is the natural environment of basketball, so you will need to give your best.

— Are you from a sports family?

— I grew up in a basketball family. My parents met on the basketball court. They're still playing. Then a younger brother was born, who also immediately took up the orange ball, grandmothers do not look up from their screens when watching games, so everyone in our family lives this sport.

When I came to the Myshkin Sports School No. 3, I got to my first coach, Roman Krshnyakin, who taught me a lot and believed in me. We had a strong year, we always reached the finals of the Russian championship, but we constantly stopped one step away from the coveted top four.

At the sports school, in the evenings after training, I stayed to throw in the dark, but Roman Shurygin, the director of the sports school, came and turned on the light with the words: "We spare no light for hard work." A man who does a lot for this sports school and gives his all to it.

— Did you manage to communicate with Anatoly Myshkin himself?

— I have seen Anatoly Dmitrievich many times, but always from afar, with one eye, there was a lot of admiration, I always could not take my eyes off at the sight of a figure so significant for our sport.

— How did you get into the MBA system?

— After a good season at the Russian championship and in the Junior Basketball League (DUBL), I was invited to watch in several clubs. But coming to the MBA was a joy for me. Back when we were playing DUBL, we came with the team to the IBA for the first round, lived in the same hotel as the Moscow club's youth players, ate in the same dining room and played in the same gym. That's when I got the idea.: "How comfortable the conditions are for the players here, ideal conditions for growth, it would be a pleasure to be here." And by chance, a year later I find myself in the MBA, my wish comes true.

With this team, we have reached three "Final Four" of the United Youth League, becoming the fourth, first and second. It's been a wonderful three years, three different line-ups, but each one has given me loyal friends and a bunch of unforgettable moments. I am very grateful to the club for believing in me, leading me all these years and now giving me a chance to prove myself at the highest level, among the top-class players that I watched with my dad on TV.

— You were at the training camp with the national team. How did they go?

— It is a great honor for me to wear the national team jersey. And working under the guidance of Zoran Lukic is a special happiness. It was very pleasant to spend several training camps with the head coach of the national team and the strongest players in Russia. It's really cool that young players like me can take part in training camps of this scale, grow and progress.

"We are not rock legends, but we can gather 35,000 fans for 3x3 basketball"

Vladimir Dyachok, Executive Director, General Secretary of the Russian Olympic Foundation, on the development of Olympic discipline, the Grand Final in Perm and the international agenda

"Since childhood, I've always liked Alexey Shved"

— What is the difference between the level of the youth league and the United League?

— I felt that the physical form and speed of making the right decisions are very different.

— Which gym is the most difficult to play in Russia and why?

— Perm has the best fans, the city lives by the game, and every time you come there, you know that the whole hall will also be against you. That's why Hammer has special games.

— Who do you like from the players in the United League now? Is there a role model?

— Evgeny Voronov's level is amazing, he is an example to follow. A great player with a winning mentality. Work ethic, relationships with your team members, and love for this game are all at the highest level. That's why I was very lucky to be with him and learn from his experience. He serves as an example for me.

Also, since childhood, I have always liked Alexey Shved, so to this day I do not change my choice of my favorite player.

— Do you follow the Super League? Would you like to try your hand there?

— I'm also actively following the Super League, and I know a lot of friends and acquaintances who play there. I also emphasize something for myself. Answering the second part of the question, time will tell.

— What do you think about Yegor Demin's game in the NBA? Have you crossed paths with him in your career?

— Egor and I crossed paths once at the Russian championship, and he gave us seven coins back then. I am very happy for him, I am actively rooting for him personally and I believe in further growth.

— Do you like to read? What have you been reading lately?

— Yes, I love books. Lately, I've been rereading the ironic detective stories of Daria Dontsova, whom my grandmother instilled in me.

— What's on your playlist?

— The top artist for me is ASAP rocky, the Mannequin challenge track performed by Young Thug is currently on repeat.

— Why have you never played at the Minibasket festival?

— Yes, it somehow slipped by me. You will definitely need to visit! Moreover, my colleagues in the national team at the League of Nations Bogdan Rublev and Madin Natok played there. The conditions for children are probably perfect there now. It seems to me that the initiative of the Russian Football Federation and the Russian Sports Foundation is right to instill in children from early childhood a love for basketball, and especially for 3x3. This format is universal.

— Where did you go to basketball camps when you were a kid?

— I haven't been to the camps much. I always trained with my dad, he looked for exercises for those elements that were suffering, and constantly honed them.

— Do you have a hobby?

— If I have free time, I try to devote it to clothes. I really like things, I like to find some rare items (a piece of clothing or an accessory that becomes a bright accent in the image. — Ed.). That's why fashion is my hobby.