“Sasha will decide for himself whether to return to Russia.” Washington captain’s mother gave an interview

Two-time Olympic basketball champion Tatyana Nikolaevna Ovechkina gave an interview to in which she talked about her famous son Alexander.

Tatiana Ovechkina has not given major interviews for a long time. After the death of her husband – uncle Misha died in February 2023 – Tatiana Nikolaevna went to live with her son in Washington, devoting even more time to raising her grandchildren.

We spoke on the phone every now and then, and I asked short daily questions when Ovechkin scored another goal, one step closer to Gretzky’s record.

Lately, I didn’t want to bother Ovi’s mother, but during the recent Ovechkin Cup, I went into the box where Tatyana Nikolaevna was watching hockey – and we talked about her son.

“My grandchildren are as stubborn as Sasha”

— What can you say about the Ovechkin Cup in Mytishchi? How do you like the scope?

– This is a luxurious tournament! Every year more and more people take part in it. This time 16 teams are playing. But I know that next year there will be even more teams. It is great that Sasha has such an initiative. Initially, he intended that as many children as possible who love hockey and play this wonderful sport should be involved in this movement. And look how many NHL stars supported this – Kaprizov, Malkin, Sasha, but also Fetisov, Kasatonov, Kovalchuk… There are many of our hockey heroes here.

– What interests you most?

— The fact that my eldest grandson Seryozha went out on the ice with Sasha. He plays hockey, and I take him to training myself. And every day! Seryozha still trains individually. And now the youngest grandson, Ilyushka, has started skating. He’s doing pretty well too. They like it, they do their job – and very well.

— Do they look like Alexander when he was little?

– Of course they look alike! Just as determined and persistent.

— Are you going to train at Arlington, where the Washington training base is located?

“The ice there is not very good, so we train only here.” Every day we take a coach and train. We understand that this is necessary. Because the guys who train in winter and summer, in autumn and spring, of course, already skate very well. But we catch up with them little by little, and it works just as well.

— Is there a chance that three Ovechkins will play on the same line?

– Yes, there is a chance. In 10 years we will be able to see them together, – Tatiana Nikolaevna smiles.

“I believe Kuznetsov will succeed at SKA”

— Alexander has a hard time wondering when he will beat Gretzky’s record?

“Personally, I’m not interested in it at all.” Well, Sasha just plays hockey, not caring about personal statistics. And the pucks – they will come, they will not go anywhere. We all know that Sasha loves and knows how to score. God grant that everything works out for him.

— There are always a lot of people around your son. How can you protect him from the pressure?

— The family is like an oasis for him. He rests at home. And there are times when Sasha can fly somewhere on vacation to Turkey, play volleyball with friends and sunbathe. They don’t take him there. He also likes to play football, basketball and tennis.

— Do you give Ovechkin’s personal trainer any advice on how to train Alexander?

“They figure it out on their own, you don’t need to go to them.” They are doing well and may they continue in the same spirit.

— You had a friendly company in Washington, Evgeny Kuznetsov and Dmitry Orlov came to you for borscht. And now everyone has left for different cities and countries.

– But communication has been preserved and the guys still remain Sasha’s friends.

— Are you surprised that Kuznetsov returned to Russia?

– Well, this is sport, this is life. Since this happened, God grant that everything goes well for Zhenya. I wish him good luck, he is a good guy. The player is also great. His family is great. That is why I think everything will be fine. We know that Kuznetsov will have great support in Russia. My parents and friends are here. I have no doubt that everything will be fine for Zhenya at SKA.

— He is now in St. Petersburg in such a mood as if he were in the Russian national team again.

– He will succeed. I don’t even doubt it!

“Sasha has been responsive since childhood, he helps children a lot”

— In a few years, the Alexander Ovechkin Academy will open in Moscow. An important project?

– Certainly! This is another opportunity to teach hockey to all the kids who want it. As I heard, the construction is going well and everything should be finished on time. When the academy opens, there will be a reason to invite you there.

By the way, Sasha has been bringing dozens of bags with hockey equipment from America through his channels for many years. They are stacked at our dacha. We distribute them, but new ones are coming. We have already sent them to sports schools 10 times, but they bring new trunks. And every time at this “Ovechkin Cup” we give gifts to young children and help hockey schools. Maybe not everyone sees this work, but believe me, it is very important. Sasha was very responsive since childhood, he was used to helping everyone.

— Ovechkin said that after his contract in America ends, he will play in Russia. Are you waiting for this moment? Do you remember how you went to Luzhniki to cheer for your son when he was playing for Dynamo?

“One day, that moment will surely come. But I will say that it will be his decision. Sasha himself will figure out when and how to take this turn in life. Whether he needs it or not. I definitely have no influence on that, believe me.

The most important thing you need here is support. He has a very good family, a great wife who always helps him with everything. Whatever they decide, it will be so.

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