RUS – Blatt cuts CSKA guard Shved, hopes Khryapa is fit for Saturday
MOSCOW (FIBA World Championship) – The bright young talent that is CSKA Moscow 21-year-old guard Alexey Shved will have to wait before he appears in a major tournament with Russia following national team boss David Blatt’s decision to make the youngster his final cut. Shved last represented his country in international competition at the U20 ...
MOSCOW (FIBA World Championship) – The bright young talent that is CSKA Moscow 21-year-old guard Alexey Shved will have to wait before he appears in a major tournament with Russia following national team boss David Blatt’s decision to make the youngster his final cut.
Shved last represented his country in international competition at the U20 European Championship in 2008.
Russia, who received a wild card to take part in this summer’s competition, flew to Ankara on Thursday and will play in Group C against hosts Turkey, Greece, Puerto Rico, China and Ivory Coast.
The Russians’ first game at the FIBA World Championship will be on Saturday against Puerto Rico.
The fitness of Russia’s best and most important player, CSKA Moscow’s Viktor Khryapa, has been a huge concern for the team in the build-up to the World Championship.
Blatt said before leaving for Turkey: "Viktor is feeling better every day, but we must be extremely cautious. Let us all hope that he recovers as quickly as possible, but I cannot guarantee his participation in the game against Puerto Rico.”
Russia squad: Andrew Vorontsevich, Viktor Khryapa, Sergey Monya, Alexander ‘Sasha’ Kaun, Timofey Mozgov, Alexey Zhukanenko, Sergey Bykov, Dmitry Khvostov, Eugeny Voronov, Anton Ponkrashov, Vitaly Fridzon Eugeny Kolesnikov.
FIBA