RUS – UNICS to host VTB United League Final Four

MOSCOW (VTB United League) – The VTB United League has what many fans in Russia and Ukraine will consider to be a dream Final Four coming on April 22-23.

Russian outfits UNICS Kazan, BC Khimki and CSKA Moscow and Ukrainian giants Azovmash will be at the gala event.

On Monday at a meeting in Moscow’s Ritz Carlton, the directorate of the VTB United League awarded the Final Four to the city of Kazan.

“We are grateful to the management of the league for the honor and trust,” said UNICS president Evgeny Bogachev.

He then delivered this message to the supporters of CSKA, Khimki and Azovmash: “I invite all fans of the game in late April to Kazan. Good spring weather, a good mood, basketball from the best clubs is waiting for you.

“There should be a real holiday.”

The announcement adds to what has been a very big season for UNICS.

In the Eurocup quarter-finals, the team will travel to Italy to face Pepsi Caserta this week after a 90-84 victory in the first leg and UNICS also lead the Russian PBL.

The  VTB United League, meanwhile, announced that Spartak St-Petersburg, Lokomotiv Kuban, CEZ Nymburk and BC Astana of Kazakhstan will be added to the competition.

Valery Tikhonenko, who played on the Commonwealth of Independent States gold-medal winning side at the 1988 Olympics in Seoul and also coached Russia’s women’s team, is the general director of Astana.

The VTB United League have abolished the post of chairman and established the position of president.

The vice Premier Minister of the government, Sergey Ivanov, was installed as the VTB United League president.

Ivanov spoke at the Monday’s meeting, saying: “Due to my business I cannot promise that I will deal with all daily affairs of the league, but on serious strategic development issues, of course, I will take part.

“I was standing at the origins of VTB United League and I am very pleased with the dynamics that we are developing.

“For three years, the league already achieved much - successes are obvious. We will continue to work in the same, right direction.”

FIBA