Anatoly BUYALSKI

Date of birth: 15/12/1959

Place of birth: Minsk

Team 2007-08: -

Career: Gorizont Minsk (Belarus-Div. 1, 1994-99), Zuvedra Klaipeda (Lithuania-LMKL, 1999-2000), Lącznosc Olsztyn (Poland-PLKK, 2000-2003), Och! Ruliński Wrocław (Poland-PLKK, 2003), Meblotap AZS Chełm (2003-05), University Kazan (Russia-Superleague, 2005), Dinamo-Energiya Novosibirsk (Russia-Superleague, 2005-07).

International career: Belarus national team (1997-99, 2002-2007)

When Anatoly Buyalski talked about going to the Olympic Games four years ago, everybody laughed and thought he was crazy. Well, no one is laughing now.
Last October in Italy, Buyalski and his squad captured the bronze medal in their very first appearance at a EuroBasket, then obtained their ticket for Beijing in June. The always inventive and witty Buyalski has brought an exciting approach to the National Team. As a 20-year-old, a serious medical condition forced him to put an end to his playing career. Though hugely disappointed, the Minsk native eventually discovered a passion for coaching. He started as an assistant with Gorizont and very quickly ended up being promoted as their head coach, in 1994. He had a first stint as head coach of the National Team in 1997 but stepped down two years later after failing to guide the team into the EuroBasket. After enjoying title-winning success on the club front in Belarus and then doing well in Lithuania, Buyalski assumed the head coaching position at Lacznosc Olsztyn, a Polish second division team. Buyalski’s teams were always burdened with financial difficulties, though, making it hard to retain players. His frustration vanished when he found stability with Dinamo Novosibirsk. Pretty soon two members of the National Team joined him in Katsiaryna Snytsinaa and Natallia Marchanka. The buzz around Buyalski was unprecedented. The Belarusian Basketball Federation wanted him to coach the National Team again. He agreed to take the team after the first leg of the EuroBasket 2003 qualifiers and despite missing the qualification, he brought optimism to the country’s fans. In the next cycle, Belarus took second place in their Division A qualifying group, earning the first EuroBasket ticket ever for Belarus. The rest…is history