Mikhail Dulkay: "I need to keep working even harder"

Zenit Basketball Academy forward Mikhail Dulkay had an intense and sports-filled summer. At the end of June, player participated in the training camp of the Russian U20 national team. Then, in August, he was invited to the senior national team. Dulkay completed two full stages of preparation and concluded by taking part in the international friendly tournament the Friendship Cup. We are publishing an interview with Mikhail following his eventful off-season.

— You had a rather productive summer. Could you tell us more about it? 

— At first, I worked here in St. Petersburg while we still had studying and were training with our coach. Last season, we were coached by Artem Mikhailovich Komogortsev. We trained individually with him. Then I was called up to the U20 national team, and I went there. We had two weeks of training camp, followed by friendly games in Serbia. So, I was training nonstop throughout June. There were great games in Serbia, and the head coach of the main national team and the Angola national team were there. It was an excellent experience. After those games, I received a call-up to the main national team. As soon as I found out, I started preparing at home in Beryazniki for the camp. So, I spent all of July training as well, and then in August, we had a camp with the national team.

— When you found out about the call-up to the main national team, did you believe it? 

— I found out while I was asleep. They started calling me and woke me up. I was half-asleep, like, "What?" "Who?" At first, I didn't understand anything. Then, of course, I was thrilled. It was unexpected, but after I processed the information, I realized the responsibility and started preparing. I made a plan of what I needed to do, what to work on, so that I would be in good shape when I arrived. It’s great, a great responsibility.

— How do the training camps for the U20 team differ from those of the main team? 

— Overall, it’s the level of basketball. In the main team, the pace is different, and the decision-making is at a higher level because all the players compete in the VTB United League. In terms of organization, the Russian Basketball Federation does everything professionally, so I can't name many differences between the U20 and the main team. The differences are mostly related to basketball itself.

— What was the atmosphere like within the team? How did you interact with the experienced players? 

— The atmosphere was work-focused but not tense. Everyone communicated with each other, and no one had a negative attitude. You could ask anyone for advice, and they would always help and explain what to do. The older guys helped us, and the atmosphere was positive and friendly.

— Can you tell us about Zoran Lukic as a coach? How did he work with the younger players? 

— Zoran Lukic is an experienced coach; after all, he trained a team in the VTB United League. It was valuable experience working with such a specialist. As for the younger players, he always gave us a chance. He didn’t treat us as undeserving just because we were young. He supported everyone. Basically, if you work hard and think on the court, things will work out with Zoran.

— Tell us about the Friendship Cup. Did you expect your debut? Were you nervous playing in front of a full arena? 

— First of all, I was very happy when I found out the Friendship Cup would be held in Perm because that’s my hometown. I was thrilled, so at each game, I had more than 20-25 supporters. That gave me extra energy and motivation to go out there and prove myself, not let anyone down. Overall, it was my first experience at a major tournament with such an organization in a big arena, and it made a great impression on me. There were a lot of fans, especially at the final game against Parma, where the "Molot" was almost full. It was mesmerizing, the whole atmosphere.

— After this new experience, do you feel more confident? 

— Definitely, yes. Having worked with such coaches and high-level players, I think I’ve improved in terms of basketball and understanding the game. I need to keep working even harder. I've been in this environment, and now I need to secure my place, so I need to work more, more, and more.

— At the end of the last season, you made your debut in the Super League. Did you notice any difference from the youth league? 

— Yes, I went to Revda for the away game. It was already the playoffs. I felt the difference in contact, the difference in speed. The fact that all the men there are adults, experienced – it makes a difference. In the youth league, we are all still roughly the same age. But our team is young. I think we will rely not on experience but on our desire, aggression, and youth.

— What’s the team’s mindset going into the season? How is the pre-season preparation going? 

— Everyone always wants to win every game. We are no exception. But I believe the main thing for us is to develop individually as players. We will work hard, and the rest will depend on us.