Aleksandrov’s tournament 2019

26^th  traditional memorial tournament in commemoration of Professor Michael Aleksandrov took place in Nikolayev. The Tournament began on Friday 5 April 2019 and ran to Sunday 7 April 2019. The matches of the tournament were played at the National University of Shipbuilding Sports Hall. Nikolayev city became the center of Ukrainian Maxibasketball activity. Veterans, students and graduates attended this tournament in loving memory of Michael Aleksandrov, professor and rector of the National University of Shipbuilding, well-known shipbuilding scientists, painter, musician, sportsman and great promoter of basketball in Nikolayev City. Also Michael Aleksandrov was chief founder and the organizer of the Department of marine instruments engineering at the National University of Shipbuilding and founder of AMICO Company. But the core values for him had always been honor and human dignity.

Now Doctor of Engineering Sciences Professor Yuriy Zhukov, FIMBA representative in Ukraine, President FIMBA -Ukraine, founder and president of Maxibasketball Club  "AMICO-50", successor and follower of Professor Michael Aleksandrov on a high moral level continues a scientific and sports’ mission of his teacher. At the Tournament’s Opening Ceremony Yuriy Zhukov was awarded a prize from the newspaper "The View" -"For devotion to basketball".

Competitors, fans and public officials took part in the Opening Ceremony. The national flag of Ukraine was hoisted by teams’ captains while the national anthem was being played. After raising the flag all speakers paid tribute to Michael Aleksandrov. Also they said that the Tournament would simply not be possible without the involvement and support of the main organizers Yuriy Zhukov and Elena Zhukova. Svetlana Aleksandrova thanked for the attention to the memory of her husband and wished everyone health and sporting success. The Opening Ceremony also included entertainment with a spectacular children's dance performance.

The program of 26th Memorial Tournament “AMICO 2019” in commemoration of Professor Michael Aleksandrov   included All-Ukrainian games of male veterans M60+, AMICO Cup for female FIMBA veterans teams W40+ and  Korabels' Cup established for players from  ship design and engineering firms.

In the first day of the All-Ukrainian games M60+ on April 5 AMICO-Nikolayev team competed against Odessa team. AMICO managed to win the game             63-54.Same day United Dnipro -Krivoy Rog team outscored Zhitomir team 60-47.

The second day of the tournament on April 6 began with Zhitomir- Odessa game. During the first half the match was in equal fight. After the halftime break Zhitomir team came out with higher level of energy and secured 56-31victory.

The destiny of gold medals was decided in the battle AMICO-Nikolayev versus United Dnipro -Krivoy Rog team who pulled away rapidly from the start and took a 30-23 advantage at the halftime break . The gap had grown to 48-35 after a tough third period. But in the last period AMICO-Nikolayev team showed that they had   a strong fighting spirit and could make the difference in this game. AMICO did great job against a solid team of Dnipro -Krivoy Rog. V. Gamov, A. Sneyder,      A. Petrov, Yu. Zhukov, L. Sorokin, S. Motsar managed to tie the game 50-50. In this extraordinary competition only one point 56-55 decided the victory in favour of United Dnipro -Krivoy Rog team. For 26 years, AMICO team has won the memorial tournament in commemoration of Professor Michael Aleksandrov 24 times. This year, luck was on the side of Dnipro -Krivoy Rog team.

On the third day of the tournament on April 7, AMICO-Nikolayev team and Zhitomir team competed for silver medals. AMICO’s players could not afford them to lose in this match. The hosts took control from the first minutes and won
the first half 38-21. A.Sneyder delivered 12 points, V. Gamov scored 8 points,     A. Petrov provided 5 points and Yu. Zhukov added 4 points for AMICO team. Zhitomir team was better in the second half 37-27.  But it was not enough to get       a victory that day. AMICO won the game 65-58 and silver medals. Zhitomir team picked up a third place.

Same day Dnipro -Krivoy Rog team faced Odessa team. Dnipro -Krivoy Rog stayed in charge throughout the all game scoring 69 points while Odessa took 47 points. Dnipro -Krivoy Rog team won a rank of the champion of the tournament. Odessa team earned the fourth place.

On April 6 the Blue team and the Yellow team both from the “Marine Design Engineering Mykolayiv” (MDEM) Company competed for Korabels' Cup, established by "C-Job Nikolayev" LLC. In this match director of the company MDEM Elena Zhukova played for the Blue team.

MDEM is an innovative, high-technology, multiservice engineering company. Sport is an essential component of MDEM employees’ lifestyle and one of MDEM fundamental core values. MDEM constantly holds for its employees Spartakiads on the picturesque seashore at the modern sport camp. Also the company offers in Lunch cafe healthy nutrition for employees.

The company opened a new office, which was designed and built at the level of the best world standards. The staff is delighted with the comfortable work environment in the office which creates a space that encourages creative thinking. The company constantly improves the professional level of employees. Over the past years MDEM has been improving employees’ lives, office culture and camaraderie, increasing job satisfaction and wellbeing. In this environment employees could reach their full potential and able to think smarter, generate ideas and execute them. It makes them happier. They are already now in the future.

The participation of two teams in the Korabels' Cup final demonstrated the highest sports level of “MDEM” Сompany. Both Blue team and Yellow team won the hearts of fans in the tournament. But in this competition Blue team was more experienced as they claimed a 67-49 victory.

On April 7 2019 AMICO female team from Nikolayev competed with “Ladies’ Legion” team from Kyiv for AMICO Cup in W40+ age category. The “Ladies’ Legion” have won medals from bronze to gold on World and European competitions of higher level. Nikolayev’s Maxibasketball leader Elena Zhukova at the international tournaments has played for “Ladies’ Legion” team. At this tournament Elena Zhukova played for her native AMICO female team. AMICO female team was formed three years ago, but they have already achieved good results. Elena Zhukova organized a world-class talent system for AMICO’ players to develop and fulfill the sports potential. She unlocked the full potential of AMICO female team.

In this tournament both teams from the starting minutes maintained a high tempo match. AMICO female team showed that it reached a new level of its development. AMICO won all four periods and won the game with a 24-point gap 49-25.

In order to successfully participate in the next 15th FIMBA World Maxibasketball Championship, which would take place from July 25 to August 4, 2019, in Finland, as a FIMBA representative in Ukraine Elena Zhukova registered “Ukraine United” team in women’s F45+ age division. Most of the players of this team will consist of participants of the tournament in commemoration of Professor Michael Aleksandrov.

Now Ukrainian women’s Maxibasketball has reached the highest level. Ukrainian teams competed extremely well in FIMBA’s tournaments.  Ukrainian girls have an unbelievable reservoir of talents and play each game with all their hearts. They are super motivated to win every time stepping on the floor and they are able to produce spectacular results.