The project of the Basketball National Federation continues. Every week we present the players who have competed in the official matches of the Georgian national team in different years and have contributed to the development of Georgian basketball. In this part of the project, “The Road of Georgian Basketball to Eurobasket 2021”, we will tell you about Tornike Shengelia, Merab Bokolishvili, Otar Pkhakadze, Akaki Dvalishvili and Giorgi Sharabidze.
Tornike Shengelia
Kakha Shengelia’s national team debut took place on October 8, 1995. He played 27 minutes against the Slovakian team. Exactly three days before this match, Kakha had his son’s birthday – little Tornike turned 4 years old.
– When I was watching my father’s game, I also wanted to play basketball. I wanted to follow his footsteps. By the way, my mother was also a basketball player, but she stopped playing sports after she met my father, – Tornike Shengelia tells us.
His father, Kakha Shengelia, ended his national team career in 2001, and Toko made his debut 7 years later, on September 6, 2008, in Luxembourg. Since then, Tornike Shengelia has been improving the quality of the game every year and today he is one of the top forwards in the Euroleague.
Even the best guards in Europe find it difficult to stop him. That’s why he scored 29 points against the Lithuanians on Eurobasket in 2017. His national team record is 31 points – in 2016 against Slovakia.
– Purposefulness! In this respect, Georgians are exemplary, not only on the court, but also in family, friendship… I also noticed that Georgians love all the people around them with all of their heart. It is because of these qualities that Tornike Shengelia means a lot to Baskonia, he bundles a team. He is also a leader in the national team, both on and off the court, – said Tornike’s teammate in Baskonia Matt Janning, who is also a naturalized member of the Georgian national team.
Merab Bokolishvili
Back in 2012, Greek specialist Giorgios Ketselidis noted: Merab Bokolishvili is young, but he is ready for the national team.
Merab only played for the national team five years later: national team coach Ilias Zouros gave Merab a great deal of time in the World Cup qualifiers. In the first two matches he showed sniper qualities:
– I had 4/5 three-pointers with Germany and 3/4 with Serbia. A basketball player cannot play so boldly if he does not feel the trust of the coach. Then it depends on your professionalism how you will perform the assigned task. Ilias Zouros trusted me and I tried to justify his hopes to the end.
Merab has played the most, 12 matches, in the 2019 World Cup qualifiers. He is playing in the national team with the number 18 jersey.
– I was 9 years old when we were given jerseys for the first time in Academy and I chose number 8. Kobe Bryant was playing with that number then. However, Giorgi Tsintsadze has been playing with this number in the national team for years. I wanted eight to be written on my back as well, so I chose number 18. The number is very important for the athlete. Everyone chooses their number, which makes them feel comfortable.
Otar Pkhakadze
In 2013, Igor Kokoshkov, the coach of the national team, called Otar Pkhakadze from the American Fairmont in the process of preparation for the Eurobasket.
The young player left a good impression on the coach and finally entered the 12-man application for the European Championship.
Before that it was an international tournament in Italy…
– I had my national team debut in Italy. I remember the very first meeting in detail. At first I was a little nervous, but when you enter the court, especially next to such players as Tsintsadze and Markoishvili, there is nothing to worry about. I played well and deserved praise from the coaches.
Otar was also in the national team in 2014 and held 4 matches in the qualifying round of Eurobasket, but Igor Kokoshkov has not called him since then.
After returning from the United States, Pkhakadze is one of the outstanding players of the Super League and Ilias Zouros often calls him for the national team meetings…
Akaki Dvalishvili
Akaki Dvalishvili hit his first national team meeting in 2012. Georgian national team was meeting in Slovenia in preparation for the qualifying round of the European Championship.
– During one of the trainings, I approached Giorgi Tsintsadze from the back, I was one step away from taking the ball, but “Boom” he felt it instinctively and removed me with a graceful movement through the body. I got a small injury to the ankle. Such diligence is always appreciated, Kokoshkov put me in the 12-man application in the qualifying round.
However, Kaki hasn’t been given a playing time until 2017. After the team had to play without Shermadini and Shengelia due to the disagreement between FIBA and the Euroleague leadership, Dvalishvili became the starting center. The Austrian match is especially memorable, in which Tskitishvili and Dvalishvili did not give the opponents a chance to get under the shield.
Giorgi Sharabidze
Giorgi Sharabidze was playing with Tornike Shengelia in Spanish Valencia. The coach brought him out in one match of Euro Cup, but Sharabidze has spent most of his career in Georgia. With the Army, he lacked just a little to advance to the second round of the Euro Challenge.
Coach Igor Kokoshkov called him to the Georgian national team in 2011 and took him to Eurobasket, but he did not play. The competition there was serious after all: Zaza Pachulia, Giorgi Shermadini, Nika Tskitishvili, Tornike Shengelia played in the front line.
Sharabidze, like many basketball players, remembers his debut in the national team:
– I held the first meeting at the Tbilisi Sports Palace. Lots of fans came to the hall and everything went well – I performed a double double, which, after the match, was specially mentioned by the coach Igor Kokoshkov.
