Biography
Mikhail Shotaevich Korkia is the legend of Soviet basketball, two-time winner of the Olympic Games. He participated in the famous "battle" of the USSR-USA 1972 at the Olympics in Munich, as a result of which the team of our basketball players became a champion. Also wearing the title of Honored Master of Sports of the USSR, the Champion of the USSR and Europe.Childhood and youth
Mikhail Korkia was born in Georgia, in the city of Kutaisi, on September 10, 1948. Since childhood, parents assumed that the boy would play basketball, since Uncle Mikhail Otar Korkia has already entered the history of Soviet Sport as the captain of the USSR national team for the Basketball 50s.
Study at school, Mikhail attended the basketball section parallel. He played seriously. His mentor was the coach of the Soviet Union Suliko Tortladze. From the very beginning, Korkia began to play as an attacking defender. His behavior on the field was distinguished by high technician, speed of movement on the site and energetic.
Friends on the team and coach called him Mishiko. In life, he was a man open, kind and ready to come to the rescue. Thus Caucasian traditions, he was standing by the family and loved ones.
There is a case when during the game the fan of the rivals team shouted obscene words about Mikhail's parents. Then a basketball player, despite the course of the game, the VMY took off to the podium and pacified the offender.
Even professionally playing basketball, Mikhail managed to learn well. After school, he entered the Polytechnic Institute of the Georgian SSR and successfully graduated from him.
Basketball
After graduating from school, Mikhail Korkia became a full-fledged player of the Dynamo Basketball Club. The team played and trained in Tbilisi, where Mishiko and moved. After 3 years, thanks to the brilliant game of Mikhail and other players, Dynamo after a 10-year-old taper again became the champion of the USSR.
Until that time, Mikhail was told about the Korki Junior, given the merits of his uncle. After such a victory, he was perceived as a promising independent player. Two years later, after Dynamo's brilliant victory in 1968, Korkiya was invited to the USSR national team on basketball.
The team colleagues celebrated Mikhail as a player for whom there is no barriers. He snatched the ball from the most failed moments. Going to the attack on the ring, he made it so rapidly that the rivals could not resist him. Helped Corki and its growth in 198 cm, as well as a big grabity and speed.
As part of the national team, Mikhail initially participated in insignificant matches, but with the arrival in the coaching staff Vladimir Kondrashki Korkia became a permanent player of the main composition.
The first important tournament in which Mikhail participated was the European Championship of 1971. He took place in Germany. The USSR team confidently beat opponents and went to the semifinals. Their rivals were the Italians, the team is confident and strong. But Soviet basketball players surpassed them on the site. And after the Triumph beat the existing champions from Yugoslavia in the final. So Mikhail and his team colleagues received the title of European Champions.
Ahead was Olympic 1972. But at the beginning of the year, an intercontinental tournament was held in the United States, in which the strongest teams of the world participated. Following the meetings, the Americans were leading, and the Soviet athletes breathed them in the back from the second place.
The main battle was expected at the Olympic Games in Munich. In the Final of Games, the main opponents - the basketball teams of the United States and the USSR - met again. By order of coach, Korkia was part of the top five players starting the game. The calculation was faithful. Couple Korkiya-Sanatradse led such a guide that, according to the results of the first half, our team led with a margin of 5 points.
In the second half, the game of Soviet athletes was not so confident. The fatigue and increased aggressive head of the Americans who do not want to give victory to the opponents. During the game, the strongest Basketball Player of opponents D. Jones deliberately began to touch Mikhail his hands on his head. There is a struggle between athletes, but not for the ball, and the most real, as a result of which both were removed from the field. Later, Kondrashin coach will say:
"Mishiko - well done. In defense today played better and more useful than everyone, knocked out from the game of the main player of Americans. "The end of the final was dramatic: first the winners counted the Americans, but then it turned out that until the end of the game had remained 3 seconds. To the great disappointment of the US team, this time was enough to Soviet basketball players to win 51:50 victory. So in 24, Mikhail Korkia became the Olympic champion. In the same year he was assigned the title "Honored Master of Sports of the USSR".
In memory of this legendary game in December 2017, the film "Movement Up" was released. The role of Mikhail Korkia was played by actor Otar Lordkipanidze.
Later, the basketball player with the title took part and won the medals in other, less prestigious competitions, until the fatal incident occurred in 1973. Upon returning from Tours in America at the customs at Mikhail's Moscow airport and three more, his teammates were charged with violating import rules of material values. The case turned into a scandal, as a result of which basketball players received disqualification and deductions from the USSR national team.
This case hit the Corkie very much, his heart problems began. True, after 2 years, the charges were removed. In 1975, Mikhail was restored as part of the national team, and he began to take part in the games again. Silver and Bronze Medals of the Olympiad and European Championships were added to his account.
In 1976, Korkiya went to the second for himself the Olympics. Games took place in Montreal (Canada). Unfortunately, the previous success could not be repeated. Going to the semifinals, Mikhail with friends on the team could not surpass Yugoslavov, who previously beat in 1971. But by defeating opponents from Canada, the USSR national team took the honorable third place and became a bronze medalist of the Olympic Games.
Personal life
Mikhail was married, his wife was the girl Manan from Tbilisi. In a marriage, two daughters were born: shortly after the wedding - Sophico, and another 7 years old - Tamara. The wedding of lovers took place in Caucasian customs, the bridegroom even had to steal the bride (as it turned out later, everything was held with her participation).The parents of the girl were against the wedding, but seeing the serious intentions of the groom, they agreed and did not lose it - Mikhail with Manany lived until the end of his days in a happy marriage. They grabbed daughters together, and later -lows. In the early 2000s, the couple settled at the cottage near Tbilisi. Their house has always been full of friends and relatives.
Death
In 1980, Mikhail Korkia completed a sports career as a player. Staying in sports, he worked for a while he worked as a coach first Tbilisi Dynamo, and then Moscow. In parallel, Korkiya tried to do business. In Soviet times, this was not welcomed, and once, hitting the unpleasant situation, Mikhail was convicted, as a result of which 4 years spent in places of imprisonment.
Since then, his heart problems intensified. Coming to freedom, Korkya still continued to do business - by that time Georgia has already become an independent country. I have long leaving the sport, Mikhail no longer considered the Americans with rivals, so he worked as last days by the vice president of the US investment company. Also, the former basketball player was the co-owner of the Torpedo team from his native Kutaisi, however, it was a football club.
In early 2004, Mikhail's closest friend died - his colleague, a basketball player Zurab Sacandidze. They were with youth together played in some teams. Corkiya was very worried about the loss of the native person. As a result, his heart could not stand, and two weeks after Zurab's funeral, Mikhail Shotaevich Korkia died at the age of 55. This happened on February 7, 2004. Buried the legendary basketball player in Tbilisi.
Awards and achievements
- 1966 - Gold Medal of Junior Championships
- 1968 - Gold Medal of the USSR Championship
- 1969 - Silver Medal of the USSR Championship
- 1971 - Gold Medal of the European Championship
- 1972 - Gold Medal of the Olympic Games (Munich)
- 1972 - Honored Master of Sports of the USSR
- 1973 - Silver Medal of the World Universiade
- 1975 - Silver Medal of the European Championship
- 1975 - Bronze Medal of the Spartakiads of the Peoples of the USSR
- 1976 - Bronze Medal of the Olympic Games (Montreal)
- 1977 - Silver Medal of the European Championship
- 1977 - Bronze Medal of the USSR Championship
- Awarded the medal "For Labor Difference"