The finals of the Russian ASB League were held today in Moscow’s Igrovaya Sports Complex.
The Association of Student Basketball is the biggest university sports league in Russia, featuring 800 teams from 69 regions of the country.
VTB United League honorary president Sergei Ivanov, president Sergey Kushchenko and general director Ilona Korstin were among the honored guests.
Moscow State University (Moscow) won the men’s championship, taking down rival MGAFK (Malakhovka) in the final, 79-66. This was the first loss for MGAFK in 67 ASB games. Viacheslav Tsvetkov (St. Petersburg University of Industrial Technology and Design) was named the tournament MVP.
Chernye Medvedi-Politekh (St. Petersburg) won the women’s championship, defeating Dalnevostochny Federalny (Vladivostok) in the final, 75-37. Natalya Bukur (Chernye Medvedi-Politekh, St. Petersburg) was named the tournament MVP, recording a double-double (15 points, 14 rebounds) in the championship game.
The ASB League superfinal went retro. The Belov League Superfinal logo, black-and-white promo video, and detailed branding echoed Soviet reality. The USSR defeated Yugoslavia in the championship game of the Seoul Olympics, bringing home gold. The 30-year anniversary of the win was an excellent reason to honor one of Soviet basketball’s greatest accomplishments.
– This is already the 11th final, which means student basketball in Russia has been firmly established, – noted Sergei Ivanov. – The League has clear rules everyone must follow: Only real students without any professional deals are allowed to compete. They have the opportunity in the future to either sign a contract with a professional club or choose a different profession. But these guys will always be fans of the game in the future. That’s the most important thing.
