Source: youtu.be
Dmytro Lypovtsev, forward for Khmelnytskyi, shared his thoughts after the match against Dnipro:
“First of all, congratulations to our basketball club on their baptism by fire. We immediately faced a tough challenge in the form of Dnipro. I congratulate our city on joining the Super League. The atmosphere was fantastic, and the support was incredible. I really missed this because in the Higher League the support isn’t the same, but here you can see it’s a real celebration.
The start was tough, but what could we expect? They are back-to-back champions. We are just getting started, but we fought hard and experienced a true men’s game.
Thanks to everyone who supported us. Thanks to the Armed Forces of Ukraine who defend our sky and land.”
Hanna Shlykova, head coach of Khmelnytskyi, expressed her gratitude and analysis:
“First and foremost, I want to thank the Armed Forces of Ukraine for giving us the opportunity to play and develop. I’m also grateful to our partners and the city mayor, who supports and promotes sports.
We all understood that Dnipro are the champions of the last three years. Their squad has barely changed; it’s 90% cohesive, and the players know each other well. Our task was to follow instructions and stick to our game plan. We managed about 80% of that.
Our main issues were under the basket. We lost nearly 20 rebounds, which is a big problem.
Thanks to the fans for the emotions and atmosphere. It gives us strength and motivation to keep moving forward. We will improve as the season progresses.
Newton has tremendous experience. He’s the guy who takes the ball when no one else will and scores. He has the build of a forward but can also play guard. There are defensive questions, but it’s just the start of the season — he will reach peak form.
Potiyev is a young player I trust. Due to his age, he lacks consistency and confidence for now. He will score and improve.
Our goal is to win. It always has been. Let us play at least one full round to understand where we stand and how we can play. I believe we will gain momentum and improve. I don’t want to focus on numbers, but our aim is simply to win.”
Artem Smityukh, forward for Dnipro, reflected on the game:
“I’m impressed. Khmelnytskyi has a fantastic fan base that really supported their team. It was tough to start because their fans pushed them forward. It was hard for us to build up the pace and create a solid lead. Yes, we had a +15 advantage, but the tension in the match remained constant.
I liked our team defense and how we worked together. We sometimes lost one-on-one defensive battles. We will work on that and fix the mistakes.”
Volodymyr Koval, head coach of Dnipro, offered his post-match comments:
“Congratulations on the start of the season. It’s always better to play than just train. The atmosphere in Khmelnytskyi was great. There was strong support, and the opposing team was well-prepared.
There were many mistakes from both sides. Both teams were nervous. We managed to secure the win. I thank the guys for handling the pressure from the crowd. In the decisive moments, we defended well and were confident in attack. We want to play fast basketball.
The day after tomorrow, we have a game in Ivano-Frankivsk. Our team isn’t young, so we need to rest.
We have experienced players who have played together for many years, so in some moments during the game, experience helps us. But it doesn’t always guarantee success. We are like a big family, but every family has its moments. Today went well, but it can be different.
Horobchenko had an inconsistent performance. But as I said, it was the first game, and both teams made mistakes. For a first match, everything went very well.”
