Victor Bychkov, BC Khimki General Manager:

— Alexander Boloshev was very pure, bright, and — quite rare for professional sports people — a truly good man. He also had a great sense of humor. Friends and colleagues loved him very much. He was one of the "breed" of the very people who always remained faithful to ideas, ideals, the mother club. Young Boloshev appeared at the court in the 1960s with the letter "D" on his chest. And he finished his pro-career also in Dynamo. Boloshev is a legendary for Soviet sports figure. He was one of those guys who gave us the Olympics-1972 fairy tale called "3 seconds," he and his teammates did incredible thing — they became Olympic champions. BC Khimki Boloshev entered in 1999 as a Deputy General Manager. He became the face of a young team, a significant figure, a symbol. We really miss him...

ALEXANDER ALEXANDROVICH BOLOSHEV (March 12, 1947 — July 16, 2010)

Alexander Boloshev was born in the Elektrogorsk city, Moscow Region. He was the Honored Master of Sports. Played for the teams Dynamo (Volgograd) in 1966-69 and Dynamo (Moscow) in 1969-80. Olympic Games winner (1972), World champion (1974), two-time European champion (1969, 1971), champion of the Universiade (1970), three-time winner of the USSR Sports and athletics meetings (1971, 1975, 1979).

Alexander Boloshev "was taken ill" with basketball in 1959 after he had read an article "The Boston Thresher" in the magazine "Sportivnye Igry". His first coach was a physical education teacher German Sokolov. Basketball section in the school was the most popular one. That's why young Sasha began to hit the ball off the court from morning till night — with kids, with coevals and older senior pupils.

In addition to the Olympic Games Alexander Boloshev won the World championship in 1974, became a silver medalist of World championship in 1978, a two-time European champion in 1969 and 1971. Together with Boloshev the backbone of the legendary Soviet National team formed Gennady Volnov, Sergey Belov, Alexander Belov, Ivan Edeshko, Mikheil Korkiya, Alzhan Zharmukhamedov and Zurab Sakandelidze.

Finishing his playing career, Alexander in 1980 was invited to the women's team Dynamo (Moscow). Two years later, he was recruited as a head coach. Later he worked for 14 years in the men's Dynamo as a team manager, until the collapse of the famous club.

In 1999 Boloshev returned to his home Moscow Region — to a newly formed Basketball Club Khimki, where he took a post of a Deputy General Manager. At once he became a significant figure in the Moscow Region team. His experience and authority in basketball world helped BC Khimki grow and prosper. Young players followed his example. The tournament in his honour, held in Khimki, became traditional one. 2010 tournament turned to be first one held without the very San Sanych...

Alexander Boloshev was awarded medals "For Labor Valor" and "For Service to the Fatherland of the third degree". In 2006 he received the gratitude from the Russian President Vladimir Putin "For the great contribution to the development of national basketball and high achievements in sports".

On July 16, 2010 after a prolonged illness Alexander Boloshev died. A Soviet basketball legend is buried in the Mashkin cemetery, Khimki. San Sanych will forever remain in our memory and hearts as a kind, responsive and sympathetic man, ready to help and support in any minute...

SAN SANYCH, THANK YOU FOR EVERYTHING. AND... RIP...

ALEXANDER BOLOSHEV PHOTOGALLERY