Igor Volkhin: "The battle will be fought for every inch of the court"
Zenit's forward Igor Volkhin shared his expectations for the home game against Kazan's UNICS, which will take place tomorrow, December 18, at the CSC Arena. The game starts at 19:30 St. Petersburg time. Tickets are available at tickets.bc-zenit.com.
— Zenit has won 12 consecutive games. What is the atmosphere like in the locker room right now? How do you personally feel going into the match?
— Of course, winning is always a joy, especially when the victories come one after another like in our case. I think every game should be played with a desire to win, no matter the opponent. All players, coaches, and clubs believe this. It’s fantastic that we’ve managed to win 12 games in a row. So, the mood for both me and the whole team is naturally upbeat and great. But we’re by no means relaxed. Especially since we have a game against Kazan.
— There is an opinion that that UNICS has the best defense in the league. What is the secret to their success?
— They are a physically strong, tall team with plenty of individually skilled players and a very smart coach. That’s why the battle will be fought for every inch of the court. I’m sure they are a team with character that won’t give up easily. Whether they are leading by 20 points or losing, they will fight and push forward. UNICS never drops their heads.
— So far, UNICS hasn’t won a single match against the other top three clubs. Why do you think that is?
— That kind of thing happens sometimes. It’s basketball, nothing can be done about it. Just as you can win, you can also lose. Maybe it doesn’t entirely depend on them — things just turned out that way.
— On December 21, fans will celebrate World Basketball Day. How do you plan to delight them?
— First of all, I want to wish everyone involved good health, the ability to set goals, strive for them and never give up. As for us, we will do our best to play high-quality basketball so that fans can enjoy it and keep coming to support us. We always look forward to seeing them and feel their presence at every game.
