John Robert Holden can be the first black athlete in the Russian national team

John Robert Holden, who was playing the Moscow CSKA, gave preliminary consent to play for the Russian team in basketball. Thus, Holden can be the first black athlete that has ever played for Russian and Soviet national teams in any sport.

Recall that earlier the Russian football team could play Camerunuer Zherri-Christian Tchuiss, for which he received Russian citizenship. However, he was never given a chance to go out in the Russian national team. As for Holden, his prospects are quite real, since the Russian team experiences a shortage in the classy players, and the fact that Holden is almost the best playing the Russian championship is beyond doubt.

According to the coach of the national team Sergei Babkov, he would like to see Holden as part of the national team, but this issue is still being considered. The President of the Russian Federation of Basketball Sergey Chernov said that he took part in the design of Holden of Russian citizenship. According to Chernov in an interview with RIA Novosti, the American was issued a Russian passport not only in the interests of his club, but also in the interests of the national team.

“We plan to invite him to the team, including the qualifying games of the European Championship 2005,” the President of the RFB said. “However, we still need to agree on a number of details.” Nevertheless, Holden has been included in the application of Russians submitted to the International Basketball Federation, Chernov added. An agreement with the leadership of CSKA regarding the involvement of Holden to the Russian team has been achieved, and there should be no problems here.

Holden received Russian citizenship in October last year. This was done so that CSKA could declare him to the championship of the country as a Russian basketball player. Sergei Babkov also said that he invited the young Center Pavel Podokolzin to the national team, who should soon sign a contract with the Dallas Maveritsa NBA club.

Regarding the return to the national team of the Central Mikhail Mikhailov, Babkov noted that this is an experienced player. “If it is in uniform, it will certainly help the national team,” the mentor of the Russian national team added. In addition, Sergey Chernov said that the RFB has an idea to hold a match between the current Russian team and the 1994 team.