Anatolij Kovtun

Anatolij Kovtun (31 December 1960 – 22 February 2005) was an Ukrainian basketball player and a member of the Soviet Union national basketball team. He won the Soviet championship twice, with CSKA Moscow and Stroitel Kiev, and the Icelandic championship once with KR.[1]

Anatolij Kovtun
Personal information
Born(1960-12-31)31 December 1960
Soviet Union
Died22 February 2005(2005-02-22) (aged 44)
NationalitySoviet / Ukrainian
Listed height206 cm (6 ft 9 in)
Listed weight100 kg (220 lb)
PositionCenter
Career history
19??–198?Celje
198?–198?CSKA Moscow
1986–1987Statyba
1986–1987Dnepropetrovsk
1987–1989Stroitel Kiev
1989–1990KR
Career highlights and awards
As player:

Early life

Kovtun grew up in Simferopol where he started playing basketball.[2]

Playing career

Kovtun joined KR in 1989, under head coach László Németh, becoming the first Soviet player to play for an Icelandic team.[3][1] 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.[4][2]

Later life and death

Following his professional career, Kovtun ran an basketball school in Lviv in Ukraine and worked as an sports agent for basketball players.[4] He died on 22 February 2005 at the age of 44.[5]

Personal life

Kovtun was married to Natalia Kovtun and together they had two daughters. His older daughter, Mary Kovtun, played college basketball for Lamar University[6] and Texas Woman's University.[7]

References
  1. "Gamla ljósmyndin: Sovétmaðurinn". Morgunblaðið (in Icelandic). 24 October 2020. Retrieved 5 November 2020.
  2. 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.
  3. Ágúst Borgþór Sverrisson (1 October 1989). "Útlendingarnir". Íþróttablaðið (in Icelandic). p. 58. Retrieved 5 November 2020.
  4. "Íþróttir - Fólk". Morgunblaðið (in Icelandic). 24 February 2020. p. 4. Retrieved 5 November 2020.
  5. "Anatolij Kovtoun látinn". Knattspyrnufélag Reykjavíkur (in Icelandic). 23 February 2005. Retrieved 5 November 2020.
  6. "Mary Kovtun - 2011-12 - Women's Basketball". lamarcardinals.com. Lamar Lady Cardinals basketball. Retrieved 5 November 2020.
  7. "Mary Kovtun - Basketball". twuathletics.com. Texas Woman's Pioneers. Retrieved 5 November 2020.
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