AMICO Games provide comfortable physical and emotional conditions for participants and give them opportunity to show the highest level of performance. At this tournament veterans relished a spending time with basketball friends. Their sincerity, goodness and joy came from the heart and inspired others. Veterans are just doing what makes them happy in life. They want to continue playing basketball as long as they can. Veterans are always training with passion and discipline needed to reach excellence in athletes and high personal development. They overcame many barriers and constraints in order to be strong and successful. Maxibasketball players are part of the national sports elite.Competitors, fans and public officials took part in the Special Commemorative Ceremony of the Tournament. Rector of the National University of Shipbuilding (NUS) Sergey S. Ryzhkov in his speech paid tribute to Michael Alexandrov. Sergey Ryzhkov said that our charitable activity and our sports achievements were also the way to honor the life of our loved man. He expressed his gratitude to the organizers of the tournament who made this event happen and wished tournaments’ participants all the best, new achievements in the Maxibasketball movement and to succeed on the European and world stage. The event ended with performances by children.The matches of the tournament were played at the National University of Shipbuilding Sports Hall. In frames of AMICO’2015 Tournament the Ukrainian Maxibasketball Championship 60+ was held. Four teams participated in the championship: AMICO (Nikolayev), Big Game team (Dnepropetrovsk), Odessa team and Kyiv team.

     On March 20, 2015 Kyiv team and Odessa team opened the championship. Kyiv started strongly at a high pace. Three-pointers by Karpukhin and his super-emotional teammate Yurchenko pushed Kyiv team ahead. But Odessa’s players Sevasteev and Yurin sparked with run which enabled their team to go ahead 21 : 18 in the first period. In the second quarter Odessa held on their lead 19 : 6. In the third period it was a tough play with neither team able to gain a great advantage over the other. Odessa went ahead in the closing seconds. The buzzer gave Odessa team a three-point advantage 20 : 17.  In the last period Odessa increased the difference and sealed the victory 83 : 53.
     

        Same day Big Game team played against hosts, AMICO. AMICO’s starting five V. Gamov, A. Sneyder, A. Petrov, S. Motsar, Yu. Zhukov took care of business quickly, scoring 26 points in the first period. Dnipro responded with 16 points. AMICO continued to maintain their advantage and after three periods AMICO’s lead was extended to 75 : 47. In the last quarter Big Game played without furious offensive assaults knowing that their team’s chances of victory had evaporated. AMICO celebrated a convincing 91 : 62 win against Big Game team. A. Petrov had a game-high 34 points for AMICO, V. Korobkov collected a team-high 17 points for Big Game team.

         Next day on March 21 there was a game AMICO vs Odessa team. AMICO began with strong shooting inside the arc and beyond it with making a potentially decisive break-through. There was no shortage of opportunities for AMICO in this game. They led from the first minutes and controlled entire game increasing their lead in each quarter. AMICO smashed Odessa team    112 : 52. AMICO’s players did a great job scoring in double figures: A. Petrov – 31 points, V. Gamov – 24 points, Yu. Zhukov – 20 points. At the losing side V.Yurin scored 17 points, Sevasteev – 13 points, Logishev – 11 points.

     After that Big Game team and Kyiv team met among themselves. Big Game dominated the game and looked well-organized. Big Game jumped out to a 26 : 8 first quarter lead and never looked back outscoring Kyiv in each of the next three periods as well: 17 : 6, 14 : 5, 20 : 12 that allowed them to win the game 77 : 31.  

         On March 22, 2015 in the last day of the tournament Big Game team battled with Odessa team. Big Game took a five-point lead in the first quarter 16 : 11. Odessa was ahead by 1 point at the halftime 25 : 24 outscoring Big Game 14 : 8 in the second term. Big Game responded with strong third quarter to down Odessa team 28 :6. Odessa was better in the final period 17 : 14. But it was not enough to get a win. Big Game claimed a 66 : 48 victory and captured the silver medals. The bronze medals went to Odessa. Rector of the NUS Sergey Ryzhkov handed the prizes to E.Vikharev, captain of Big Game team, and to Yuriy Rizo – the captain of Odessa team. FIMBA-Ukraine Representative Yuriy Zhukov handed Most Valuable Player (MVP) awards to V. Korobkov (Big Game) and to V.Yurin (Odessa).

 AMICO held their game with Kyiv team. After two defeats in the tournament Kyiv team desired to win for any price. But AMICO from the starting minutes maintained a solid advantage throughout all periods and won the game with a 22-point gap 58 : 36. This victory completed the Ukrainian Maxibasketball Championship 60+ where AMICO won all three games, and each one with big difference. AMICO’s players celebrated their triumph by holding aloft coveted Cup.

  The guests of the tournament were very grateful to the major organizer Yuriy Zhukov for wonderful hospitality.

   Same day on the second stage of the tournament in the final of Shipbuilders’ Cup MDEM team (ship design and engineering agency Marine Design Engineering Mykolaiv) met with Korabel team (students and post graduates of National University of Shipbuilding - NUS). The players of both teams are real specialists in the theoretical and practical shipbuilding. And they also play excellent basketball. University’s was under the direction of A.Ryevskiy, former captain of the Ukrainian Super league team MBC Mykolaiv. MDEM team was coached by A.Petrov, former player and captain of the National USSR league team NKI, master of sports of USSR. Elena Zhukova, Director of MDEM Company and founder of the MDEM team took part in this man’s basketball tournament and showed impressive playing. Also during the Cup-final game there was a competition between leading performers of MDEM team (S. Mikhailov) and Korabel team (R. Denisov). S.Mikhailov scored 24 points for MDEM team. R. Denisov delivered 22 points for NUS team. Finally students and postgraduates managed to achieve a desired victory 57 : 32 and their Korabel (Shipbuilder) team clinched the Shipbuilders’ Cup.

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