Despite not yet being 18, Huseyn Gaflanov is already a well known figure in Azerbaijani basketball. He currently plays for Sabah and Sumgayit and is the tallest basketball player in the country. His journey, which includes training spells at top European clubs, has drawn attention. In an interview with Idman.Biz, the 210 cm player spoke about his experiences in Spain and Lithuania and about everyday life with such height.
- How did it happen that you represent two clubs at the same time?
- This became possible thanks to the dual contract system introduced by our basketball federation. It allows young players to get more playing time instead of sitting on the bench. That is why I currently play for both Sabah and Sumgayit.
- 210 cm at 17 is impressive. Tell us a bit about yourself and how you came into sport.
- I was born on 1 March 2008 in Baku. At first I was interested in football and wanted to become a goalkeeper. But I came to basketball at about 11 or 12 on my father’s advice. When I reached 195 cm, he found me a coach, Tahir Bakhshiyev, through Facebook. He liked my potential and started working with me.
- Training with a future national team coach was a strong start. What came next?
- With help from our federation I spent almost four years abroad. I trained at the Southern California Academy in the USA, the Vilnius Basketball School in Lithuania, and also in youth teams of Valencia and Real Madrid in Spain.
- Now you do not always start for Sabah and therefore play for Sumgayit. Arvydas Sabonis was already a world champion at 18.
- Maybe it sounds like an excuse, but our generation lost at least a year and a half because of the pandemic. We could not even train, let alone play. It came exactly during my development period. There was a difficult moment when I nearly left sport. I still have to catch up.
- Did football lose you or basketball win you?
- I do not think football lost me (laughs). I am happy with my choice and I think basketball will soon be happy too.
- How are relations with your coaches Vladimir Kuramshin and Rimas Kurtinaitis?
- We have not discussed my playing time in Sabah. Young players do not get much time yet, I have only been on the court a couple of times. But if he did not believe in us, we would not be in the team. Vladimir Kuramshin regularly puts me in the starting line up at Sumgayit and supports me, so I cannot complain.
- You play power forward. Why not centre with that height?
- I am too light for a centre, only 95 kg. Doctors say I am fine, and I like running and shooting often, so this position suits me perfectly.
- What food do you like?
- My favourite is my mother’s dushbara. I also love meat, rice and any dishes made from them.
- Do you help at home using your height?
- Of course. If curtains need changing or the chandelier needs cleaning, I am essential. We have not used a stepladder at home for years, they only use me (laughs). I can reach the ceiling only when I jump, our ceilings are high. As a child I constantly jumped trying to reach a specific point on the wall. We live on the top floor of a seven storey building, and luckily there were no neighbours below us. But once people from the fifth floor came to complain about the noise, so I had to stop jumping at home.
- Are there daily downsides to your height?
- Apart from often hitting my head, not really (laughs). I got used to curious looks at school from the age of 12. As for girls, from my observations they actually like my height. It is not necessary for a girl to be tall, the main thing is character.
- What are your plans for the future?
- We will decide together with the federation and coaching staff. I play for the U20 national team and am part of the senior squad. It is too early to make plans, but in the future I would like to play abroad again.
