Battle of Honey Springs

Alzhan Musurbekuly Zharmukhamedov (alternate spelling: Alzan Zarmuhamedov) (Kazakh: Әлжан Мүсірбекұлы Жармұхамедов,^[2] Áljan Músirbekuly Jarmuhamedov; Russian: Алжан Мусурбекович Жармухамедов; 2 October 1944 – 3 December 2022) was a Kazakh professional basketball player and coach. He was considered to be the first ethnic Kazakh to become an Olympic champion.^[1]^[3]

Playing career

Jarmuhamedov played club basketball with CSKA Moscow (1970–1980). In 1971, he earned the title of Master of Sports of the USSR, International Class, and a year later, he was awarded the Order of the Badge of Honor.

National team career

While being young and driven by feelings of patriotism, Jarmuhamedov moved to Almaty (Alma-Ata at that time), in order to compete with the senior Kazakh SSR national basketball team. However, not being able to find any support, he finally decided to move to Moscow, where he was eventually able to earn world fame as a basketball player. He served as the team captain of the senior combined national basketball team of the Soviet Union for a long period. He won a gold medal at the 1972 Summer Olympic Games, while playing with the senior Soviet Union national basketball team.

Coaching career

At the tail end of his career, Jarmuhamedov worked as a player-coach, until he reached the age of 45.^[1]

Personal life and death

Zharmukhamedov's father was Kazakh and his mother was Ukrainian of Zaporozhian Cossack descent.^[4]

Zharmukhamedov lived in Moscow. He died on 3 December 2022, at the age of 78.^[5] He was buried in the Federal Military Memorial Cemetery on 7 December.^[6]