BC Donetsk
Encyclopedia
BC Donetsk is a Ukrainian
professional basketball
club, that is based in Donetsk
. The mascot
of the team is a tiger
, which also appears on their symbol, and the "Tigers" is also the nickname of the team.
In 2006 a new club was found to continue basketball traditions of the Donbass capital, it was named BC "Donetsk". Initiator and the founder of a new club was Valery Plekhanov, who also became its coach, and started playing in the Ukrainian
first league, which is the third highest league in Ukraine
. At their first season (2006–07) there the team finished first with an amazing record of 34 wins in 34 games, and was promoted to the Ukrainian
higher league, which is the second highest league in Ukraine
. At that season (2007–08) the team won 53 out of 56 games, one of the leaders of the team Konstantin Galenkin was announced The Best Center Forward of the tournament. So BC "Donetsk" first in its history was promoted to the Ukrainian Basketball Super League
. At the same season the team finally found a sponsor: Sergei Dyadechko, who also became the president of the club. Even though just promoted, the team received a wild card
to play in the EuroChallenge 2008-09
. The person who helped BC "Donetsk" to get its wild card was Sergei Bubka
.
Just before the start of new 2008-09 season a new coach was invited to lead a team – Olympic Champion Igors Miglinieks. Also to reinforce the team before new season some famous legionaries and candidates for the national teams of Ukraine, Belarus and Puerto-Rico appeared in BC "Donetsk".
The team has set very ambitious goals to achieve: to become a prize winner of the Ukrainian Basketball Super League already in the first year of taking part in this competition and to show a good game in its debut in EuroChallenge.
Ukraine
Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It has an area of 603,628 km², making it the second largest contiguous country on the European continent, after Russia...
professional basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
club, that is based in Donetsk
Donetsk
Donetsk , is a large city in eastern Ukraine on the Kalmius river. Administratively, it is a center of Donetsk Oblast, while historically, it is the unofficial capital and largest city of the economic and cultural Donets Basin region...
. The mascot
Mascot
The term mascot – defined as a term for any person, animal, or object thought to bring luck – colloquially includes anything used to represent a group with a common public identity, such as a school, professional sports team, society, military unit, or brand name...
of the team is a tiger
Tiger
The tiger is the largest cat species, reaching a total body length of up to and weighing up to . Their most recognizable feature is a pattern of dark vertical stripes on reddish-orange fur with lighter underparts...
, which also appears on their symbol, and the "Tigers" is also the nickname of the team.
History
At the times of Soviet Union there was one professional basketball team in Donetsk. It was called “Shakhtyor” and it had a reputation of a strong-will cup fighter. After Ukraine gained its independence, “miners” once took 2nd and once 3rd place in the National Championship and played 24 games in Euro cups.In 2006 a new club was found to continue basketball traditions of the Donbass capital, it was named BC "Donetsk". Initiator and the founder of a new club was Valery Plekhanov, who also became its coach, and started playing in the Ukrainian
Ukraine
Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It has an area of 603,628 km², making it the second largest contiguous country on the European continent, after Russia...
first league, which is the third highest league in Ukraine
Ukraine
Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It has an area of 603,628 km², making it the second largest contiguous country on the European continent, after Russia...
. At their first season (2006–07) there the team finished first with an amazing record of 34 wins in 34 games, and was promoted to the Ukrainian
Ukraine
Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It has an area of 603,628 km², making it the second largest contiguous country on the European continent, after Russia...
higher league, which is the second highest league in Ukraine
Ukraine
Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It has an area of 603,628 km², making it the second largest contiguous country on the European continent, after Russia...
. At that season (2007–08) the team won 53 out of 56 games, one of the leaders of the team Konstantin Galenkin was announced The Best Center Forward of the tournament. So BC "Donetsk" first in its history was promoted to the Ukrainian Basketball Super League
Ukrainian Basketball Super League
The Ukrainian Basketball SuperLeague is the top professional basketball league in Ukraine.-2010–2011 Teams:* Azovmash Mariupol* BC Kyiv* Khimik Yuzhny* MBС Mykolaiv* BC Donetsk* BC Budivelnik* BC Halychyna* BC Hoverla* BC Dnipro-Azot...
. At the same season the team finally found a sponsor: Sergei Dyadechko, who also became the president of the club. Even though just promoted, the team received a wild card
Wild card (sports)
The term wild card refers broadly to a tournament or playoff berth awarded to an individual or team that has not qualified through normal play.-International sports:...
to play in the EuroChallenge 2008-09
EuroChallenge 2008-09
EuroChallenge 2008–09 was the sixth edition of Europe's third-tier level transnational men's professional club basketball EuroChallenge Tournament, and the first under the EuroChallenge name, organized by FIBA Europe...
. The person who helped BC "Donetsk" to get its wild card was Sergei Bubka
Sergei Bubka
Serhiy Nazarovych Bubka ; is a retired Ukrainian pole vaulter. Repeatedly voted the world's best athlete, he represented the Soviet Union until its collapse in 1991....
.
Just before the start of new 2008-09 season a new coach was invited to lead a team – Olympic Champion Igors Miglinieks. Also to reinforce the team before new season some famous legionaries and candidates for the national teams of Ukraine, Belarus and Puerto-Rico appeared in BC "Donetsk".
The team has set very ambitious goals to achieve: to become a prize winner of the Ukrainian Basketball Super League already in the first year of taking part in this competition and to show a good game in its debut in EuroChallenge.