| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born | (1960-12-31)31 December 1960 Soviet Union |
| Died | 22 February 2005(2005-02-22) (aged 44) |
| Nationality | Soviet / Ukrainian |
| Listed height | 206 cm (6 ft 9 in) |
| Listed weight | 100 kg (220 lb) |
| Position | Center |
| Career history | |
| 19??–198? | Celje |
| 198?–198? | CSKA Moscow |
| 1986–1987 | Statyba |
| 1986–1987 | Dnipropetrovsk |
| 1987–1989 | Budivelnyk Kyiv |
| 1989–1990 | KR |
| Career highlights and awards | |
As player:
| |
Anatolij Kovtun (31 December 1960 – 22 February 2005) was a Ukrainian basketball player and a member of the Soviet Union national basketball team. He won the Soviet championship twice, with CSKA Moscow and BC Budivelnyk Kyiv, and the Icelandic championship once with KR.
Early life
Kovtun grew up in Simferopol where he started playing basketball.
Playing career
Kovtun joined Úrvalsdeild karla club KR in 1989, under head coach László Németh, becoming the first Soviet player to play for an Icelandic team. With KR, Kovtun teamed up with American Jónatan James Bow, who was on a loan from Haukar, in the FIBA Korać Cup which was, according to FIBA, the first time an American and a Soviet player played together in the Cup. In the Úrvalsdeild, Kovtun averaged 16.9 points and 11.0 rebounds and helped KR to its first national championship in 11 years. During the summer of 1990, Kovtun was seriously injured in a car crash that killed his friend. After the accident, he was in a coma for six days and permanently lost the sight on one eye, effectively ending his professional career.
Later life and death
Following his professional career, Kovtun ran a basketball school in Lviv in Ukraine and worked as a sports agent for basketball players. He died on 22 February 2005 at the age of 44.
Personal life
Kovtun was married to Natalia Kovtun and together they had two daughters. His older daughter, Mariia Kovtun, played college basketball for Lamar University and Texas Woman's University, and professionally in Europe.
References
- ^ "Gamla ljósmyndin: Sovétmaðurinn". Morgunblaðið (in Icelandic). 24 October 2020. Retrieved 5 November 2020.
- ^ Ivan Verbytsky (31 December 2018). "Чемпион, роковое ДТП и ранняя смерть: жизненные повороты известного украинского баскетболиста". ua-football.com (in Russian). Retrieved 5 November 2020.
- Ágúst Borgþór Sverrisson (1 October 1989). "Útlendingarnir". Íþróttablaðið (in Icelandic). p. 58. Retrieved 5 November 2020.
- "Bow með KR í Evrópukeppninni". Morgunblaðið (in Icelandic). 5 September 1989. p. B1. Retrieved 11 March 2019.
- "Stórveldin í eina sæng!". Morgunblaðið (in Icelandic). 26 September 1989. Retrieved 11 March 2019.
- ^ "Íþróttir - Fólk". Morgunblaðið (in Icelandic). 24 February 2020. p. 4. Retrieved 5 November 2020.
- "Anatolij Kovtoun látinn". Knattspyrnufélag Reykjavíkur (in Icelandic). 23 February 2005. Retrieved 5 November 2020.
- "Mary Kovtun - 2011-12 - Women's Basketball". lamarcardinals.com. Lamar Lady Cardinals basketball. Retrieved 5 November 2020.
- "Mary Kovtun - Basketball". twuathletics.com. Texas Woman's Pioneers. Retrieved 5 November 2020.
- "Mariia Kovtun Player Profile - Eurobasket". Eurobasket.com. Retrieved 10 April 2021.