Photo: fonbet.ru

Alex Ovechkin has been a brand ambassador for the Fonbet sports betting company since late November, 2021. As part of his duties for Fonbet, Ovechkin has made several public appearances this summer. Most recently, along with his mother, Tatyana, Ovechkin appeared on the Russian Late Night Show on August 29.

On the show Ovechkin discussed his offseason, including his personal highlight of the summer, playing soccer for FC Moscow Dynamo in an exhibition game on June 25. Ovechkin scored in the eleventh minute of the contest.

“That day my dream came true – I played for the first team and scored a goal. I’m actually left-handed, it’s usually more difficult for me to hit with the right foot. But here I was at the right time in the right place and everything worked out.”

Ovechkin apologized to his mother for the fact that he enjoys watching soccer, the sport that his father played, rather than basketball, the sport in which his mother earned  two Olympic Gold medals.

“If there is an opportunity to watch a football [soccer] match live, I will definitely attend the game. I am a football [soccer] fan. I apologize to my mother that I prefer [watching soccer to ] basketball.”

It’s not surprising that Ovechkin would like soccer, given that his father, Mikhail, played soccer, also for Moscow Dynamo. Alex still likes basketball and spent much of his childhood on the basketball court. However, he considers it fate that hockey was the sport he ultimately chose.

“As my father says, when I was little, if I saw that hockey was on TV, I would stop and start watching carefully. So I think hockey is my destiny. By the way, my eldest son, Seryozha [Sergei], is now just as fanatical about hockey as I once was. Just yesterday we were driving with him in the car and I offered to play. I called the (Capitals) player’s number, and he guessed the last name. He already knows all the Washington Capitals players by numbers, despite the fact that he turned four years old only a week ago.”

Becoming The Great 8

Ovechkin’s mother recalled her son’s journey to being a professional athlete.

“My dad and I told him how to eat right, how to prepare for the tournament, how to behave on a team. He took it all in and did the right thing. I’m not at all offended that he chose hockey over basketball. I always told him – Sasha, in any case, do not give up. Be the leader. If you want to achieve something, then you have to be the best.”

Ovechkin concurred with his mother’s words.

“You always need to be a leader and set an example for your partners. If you are doing something, you have to be the best.”

Tatyana is less concerned about whether her two grandsons become athletes.

“The most important thing is that Sasha’s children – our grandchildren – be healthy, good guys, respect their parents. The way Sasha treats us and respects us.”

Photo: Sport24 ru

Ovechkin considers the Stanley Cup as the most important sporting event in his life, as a player, but confessed that, as a fan, the most important sporting event he attended was soccer’s World Cup.

“As a player, the best moment is the Stanley Cup final. As a fan – the final of the World Cup, which was held in Moscow. Then I was rooting for the French.”

In discussing his future goals, Ovechkin admitted he would like to pass Wayne Gretzky’s record in career goals.

“Of course, it is important to be the best. The more you score, the better. But I always said that it would be very hard to do. We have lost almost a hundred games due to the lockdown and the coronavirus. But we will try and do our best.”

Ovechkin also admitted that he would like to play for Russia at the Ice Hockey World Cup.

“It’s hard to talk about the World Cup. We were told that we would go to the Olympics, but it did not work out. Of course, I would like to play for Russia, but everything will depend on the circumstances because we live by the rules of the NHL. I hope I will be able to play for Russia.”

My mom!!)))) pic.twitter.com/Y4BaT7Dwk6

— Alex Ovechkin (@ovi8) June 16, 2013

During the interview, Sergey Anokhin, General Director of the Fonbet betting company, thanked Ovechkin for his work with them.

“Alexander is a real superstar, and we are very pleased that he spends his holidays with us as well. Despite his status [as a superstar], it is always very easy to communicate with him. This summer we held several events with Sasha. For example, together with Moskomsport, they organized the OviCyberCup esports tournament. There are still a lot of interesting things ahead!”

Clothing Design

At the end of the evening, the members of Moscow Dynamo’s women’s basketball team presented a special Great8 X Fonbet clothing collection. Ovechkin himself helped in the design of that clothing. Alina Yakirevich, the Marketing Director of Fonbet described the clothing, “We developed the design of this clothing line together with Alexander. The collection includes sweatshirts, hoodies, T-shirts, baseball caps, and scarves. It turned out really great. I think that in the future we will develop the Great8 X Fonbet brand collaboration.”

[Note: Ovechkin’s mother is President of the Moscow Dynamo Women’s Basketball Team”.]

By Diane Doyle

Related Reading
15 Years Later – A Love Letter from Tatyana Ovechkina to her Son
Alex Ovechkin Signs One-Game Contract To Play In Soccer Friendly For FC Dynamo Moscow On Saturday
Bend It Like Ovechkin: Alex Ovechkin Scores In Dynamo FC Exhibition Game
Original Interview from Mirtesen.ru (from Kommersant.ru)
Report on Interview from Championat.ru

(News reported by Mirtasen.ru which was originally reported by Kommersant.ru)