Valery Miloserdov

Valery Miloserdov played football, ice hockey and basketball as a youth, but concentrated solely on basketball in high school. After winning gold at the 1968 European Junior Championships, Miloserdov, a point guard, spent his entire professional career from 1970-82 with one club – CSKA Moskva. With them, Miloserdov won the Soviet titles in 1970-74 and 1976-82, Soviet Cups in 1972, 1973 and 1982 and FIBA European Champions Cup in 1971, while placing second in 1970 and 1973.

Miloserdov was on the Soviet national team from 1973-80 and won Olympic bronzes in 1976 and 1980, was a World Champion in 1974, won silvers at the 1975 and 1977 European Championships and a bronze at the 1973 European Championships. After finishing his sporting career, Miloserdov worked as a basketball coach and sport official. He was the assistant coach of CSKA Moskva and the Soviet national team in the 1980s.

After the fall of the Soviet Union, Miloserdov was the president of the Elektrostal Basketball Federation and a board member of Moscow Region Basketball Federation. He also organized many basketball and street basketball tournaments in and around Moscow. In 2003, Miloserdov was one of the founders of the DROZD (Educated and Healthy Children of Russia) organization. His son Aleksandr also became an international level basketball player, representing Russia at the 2001 European Championships.