Part I. FIBA Under 22 Championship: Gold Medal Journey. Turkey.

So here we are in the Turkish city of Bursa, in the summer of 1993, trying to beat the odds and overcome the opponents that probably never even heard of Belarus. After being on that bus seat for 3 days, that first night in a hotel bed was a blessing. However, we found ourselves awake at 5 in the morning because it was a prayer time for Muslims and Mullah's voice from Minarets' speakers was encouraging the locals to wake up signifying the beginning of a new day.

Introduction. We Are The Champions, My Friends!!!

Winning a gold medal in 1994 European "Under 22" Championship was simply surreal and out-of-this-world feeling for a young Belarus team. Till this day I feel like it was a blessing from God, but then again good things happen to those teams that work hard and have a great chemistry.

It's interesting how the big things are seen only from a far... Growing up in the post-Soviet era in Belarus, which was one of the fifteen Republics that composed the collapsed Soviet Union, was not an easy task. Like the 1986 Chernobyl nuclear plant disaster was not enough, the country was limping and stumbling in its transition to market economy. The signs were way too obvious - unemployment, scarcity of food and political instability. But there was a promise, if not for all of the 10 millions of Belarussians,  for athletes for sure.