Temur Datikashvili:
I was told during the 90s: "There's a war; how can you talk about basketball?!"

The VTB United League's borders will expand with Vita Tbilisi's debut in the 2015-16 season. The Georgian club was founded in the 1990's, but president and visionary Temur Datikashvili is focused on the present and building ambitiously for the future. He discussed the difficulties the club faced during Georgia's civil war, recalled Vita's former players and championships, and shared his expectations for the team in the upcoming season.

- Tell us about how Vita was founded. How did it all start?
- The club was founded on August 1, 1992. Four friends founded the club: Vladimir Dzidziguri, Ivane Shengelia, Avtandil Sakvarelidze and myself. We combined the first letter of each of our names to create VITA. There was a civil war going on at that time and things were very tough in Tbilisi. We thought creating a basketball team in those conditions would be something positive and upbeat. We invited our friends and longtime partners: coaches Beso Liparteliani and Dudu Dadiani and players Niko Cherkezishvili, Misha Kobeshavidze, Shota Udzilauri and Zurab Dadiana. Later on, Levan Gegeshidze, Gia Beruashvili, Ambrosi Ormotsadze, Goderzi Kordzadze, Irakly Maisuradze, Tamaz Gigauri and Irakly Khomeriki also joined. That was Vita's first roster.

- Vita won the Georgian championship in its very first season!
- We surprised everyone. At that time, very few people were involved in sports. There was a war going on. Some former players were involved in the action. I remember Duda telling me: "There's a war; who cares about basketball!" Nonetheless, after watching us put the team together, he came on board. Vita's first game was on November 4. We won, but had to play without fans. The basketball gym in Kirov was practically abandoned. The infrastructure was completely gone. I remember that I personally had to furnish the television feed.

Between our friends and acquaintances, we put together a group of fans that season. Numbering about 100 people, led by a man nicknamed Kroshka (202 cm, 150 kg), the group attracted a lot of attention. Other fans started coming and the gym started to fill up. Vita reached the playoff finals, where we unexpectedly defeated Merani, a team that included legendary Georgian stars Nodar Korkia and Paata Guraspauli.

- Over the next six years, the club won the domestic championship each season to become the flagman of Georgian basketball. Which of the seven titles do you remember best?
- Each win was special and memorable in its own way...But I can't help but mention our second season, when we managed to bring back several famous Georgian players: Kakha Shengelia, Mamuka Turashvili, Kakha Baramidze. There was an enormous amount of interest and the league competition didn't disappoint. Vita played Tbilisi in the finals. Former USSS national team center Nikolai Deryugin and sharpshooter Gia Sanadze played for Tbilisi. Those finals are still considered one of the best in modern Georgian basketball history. The third decisive game was shown live by Eurosport. 14,000 fans packed the Tbilisi Sports Palace with 20,000 more stuck outside the arena! It's fair to say that was the most thrilling game ever played in Georgia. And we won, 77-74.

- You had a lot of different players on the team during the 1990s. In your opinion, who was the best of the best?
- I'm completely serious when I say that all of Vita's players were excellent players. I don't think it would be right to single anyone out. At one time, 14-year-old Zaza Pachulia and 15-year-old Vladimir Boisa played on our team. Vita also featured legends like Nikolai Deryugin and Gela Darsadze...The best of Georgian basketball during the 1990s passed through our club. The national team drew a lot of players from our team too. Many former Vita players continue to represent Georgian basketball at the highest level.

- After winning seven Georgian championships, Vita shut down. Now the club is being reborn. How did that come about?
- It's because of our love for basketball and our dedication to Vita. Yes, at one time the political situation in the country and resulting financial problems forced us to disband the team. But my friends and I dreamed all those years of bringing the club back. We talked about that from the very start after the team disappeared. Over the last two years with the help of Levan Mikeladze and Kakha Shengelia the possibility of resurrecting the team became more and more realistic. As vice president of the Georgian Basketball Federation, Shengelia was able to get the process going. Mikeladze is a prominent agent and he's provided a lot of energy as a young person to help realize this dream. Vita has returned! It hasn't just returned, it's also become a member of the prestigious VTB United League! I want to point out that Vita is the biggest sports project yet in Georgia's recent history.

- The decision to include Vita in the VTB United League was made at the recent league board meeting in Moscow. Be honest, were you nervous at all about the outcome? What impressions did you have from your first league event?
- There was some uncertainty, of course. But we believed that our club and Georgian basketball were worthy of the honor. I want to thank the league front office for its very warm welcome in Moscow. To be honest, we didn't expect such hospitality. We were immediately informed of what was happening and invited into the basketball family. We couldn't even dream about competing at such a high level just a year ago. This is a big step forward for us.

- What expectations are there for Vita in its first season in the VTB United League?
- We have very ambitious goals. We want to play well and finish in the top eight and reach the playoffs. Yes, it won't be easy. There are very experienced, strong teams in the VTB United League. But I think with each new game in the competition we'll gain experience and confidence. Our home gym and wonderful fans should help. I hope that all of Vita's home games at the 9,000-seat capacity Sports Palace in Tbilisi will sell out.

- The front office's first personnel decision was hiring a new head coach, Russia's Pavel Googe.
- Yes, we decided to hire him. Googe is young and ambitious and already has experience working in Georgia. Vita management trusts him 100% and has big hopes for his coaching experience and talent. Googe will tell us about his selections for assistant coach in the near future.

I'd also like to express deep respect and gratefulness to Vita's former coaches: Beso Liparteliani, Vazha Mkheidze, Zurab Tomaradze. By the way, Liparteliani was president of our national federation for 12 years after finishing his coaching career. He played a big role in Georgian basketball's successes. Tomaradze may be the most successful caoch in recent Georgian basketball history...We remember Mkheidze with tremendous respect and sadness. Sadly, he's no longer with us, but we all remember how much he did for the club and Georgian basketball.

- Scouting is in full swing as you look to create a new team. What kind of basketball can we expect from Vita next season?
- We'll have a tough, competitive team. Our biggest requirement is that everyone play hard on both ends of the floor, both on defense and offense. The team will include Georgian national team members and six talented foreigners.

- You've been able to observe the development of the VTB United League from the outside. What's your opinion of the competition?
- It's very simple. The VTB United League is one of the top competitions in Europe. It's very competitive. Every game is tough. None of the top clubs can guarantee a win in any given game. Of course, that's very attractive to the fans.