Farewell Ceremony Held in Moscow for Soviet Basketball Legend Ivan Edeshko

Dragon Media News Desk

A farewell ceremony for Soviet Olympic champion and celebrated basketball player Ivan Edeshko was held in Moscow.

According to Russian news agency TASS, the ceremony took place at the CSKA sports complex in the Russian capital.

Edeshko was a key member of the Soviet basketball team that won the gold medal at the 1972 Munich Olympics. In the historic final against the United States, his long pass in the closing seconds set up Alexander Belov for the decisive basket, giving the Soviet Union a 51–50 victory.

He also won a bronze medal at the 1976 Montreal Olympics.

Edeshko became a world champion in 1974 and represented the Soviet Union with distinction in major European competitions. He spent a significant part of his playing career with CSKA Moscow and later also worked as a coach.

He remained especially remembered in international basketball history for the decisive pass in the 1972 Olympic final, when the Soviet Union ended the United States’ long-standing Olympic winning streak.

Representatives of Russian and Soviet basketball, former colleagues and admirers attended the farewell ceremony in Moscow and paid tribute to Edeshko. TASS also released footage from the ceremony.