World Lithuanian Games – Chicago 1983

As Lithuania was occupied until 1991, exiled Lithuanian communities around the world would endeavour to connect in different ways.  One of these was through sport.  Unable to meet in Lithuania at first, the first World Lithuanian Games were held in Canada in 1978. The games were organised by future Lithuanian president, Vladas Adamkus.

It was a way of uniting the youth and instilling a spirit of national pride.  In 1983, Chicago hosted the games.

The World Lithuanian Days and sport festival was held in Chicago from 25 June to 4 July 1983. A team from Australia was selected to participate and represent all the Lithuanians in Australia.

Antanas Laukaitis was the touring party leader, Treasurer and junior boys basketball coach, Don Atkinson, Men’s section leader Jurgis Karpavicius, women’s section leader Marija Atkinson, coordinator of travel and men’s volleyball coach, Jerry Belkus and Public Relations Nita Wallis.

From Adelaide went;

Basketball
Eddie Taparauskas and Men’s basketball Manager, Jonas Ignatavičius guard, Petras Urnevičius (basketball), Ramunė Grigonis (basketball), Vanesa Kalninš (basketball), Aleksas Talanskas (basketball).

Mens volleyball
Algis Laurinaitis

Women’s Volleyball
Alius Daniškevičius (Assistant coach)

Dale Laurinaitis
Mile Daniškevičius
Wendy Paulauskas
Robyn Paulauskas
Laima Visockis

Table tennis: Vilija Bone, Ona Bone, Harry Bone

Other sports: Aleksas Merūnas (Manager)

Athletics: Mikas Talanskas (athlectics)
Swimming: Irena Petkunas, Rikardas Baškus

Detroit won gold in the finals against the Australian All-Star team.

SA Basketball part III final

The 1951 season was Vytis’ best.  Last year they lost only three games throughout a 23 game championship, plus the Adelaide Baltic Cup tournament, plus the championship of Australian Lithuanian clubs and plus interstate friendly matches.

In the championship Vytis started with a loss to OBI, which left the Lithuanians trailing a new ALS (Latvian) team until the end of the first round, when they met ALS and beat them.

In the second round the Latvians turned the tables and let the field until the last match of the third and final round with one loss only.

In a dramatic last round match Vytis defeated ALS by one point.  Vytis trailed for most of the game but won by paralysing burst of attack in the last 10 minutes, a feature which has characterised many of their matches against first class opposition.

Even on wins with ALS (19-2), Vytis was declared minor premier on percentage of won and lost goals.  During the minor round Vytis shot 1103 points (a record for SA), losing 575, the second team ALS, show 1011, and losing 528.

In the semi-final Vytis beat Estonians and in the final downed ALS boys, who were evidently dejected after their unfortunately defeat in the last game of the minor round.

Throughout the season Ignatavicius scored 343 and Urnevicius 305 points, a splendid tally which was surpassed only by 6ft 5in Latvian Juris (George) Dancis, who shot 380.  Peter Sutton (OBI), fourth on the list with 287.

In 1950 Vytis, although premier, had been defeated by Latvians in the Baltic Cup competition.  In 1951 the Lithuanians made sure to score a double victory.  They played copy book basketball to defeat Estonians 58-37 and then overwhelmed Latvians in a trilling match by 49-42.

This last match was a classical example of Vytis variable style and excellent powers of adaption.

In the first half the tall Latvians watched the fast dangerous Vytis forwards closely.  Gurskis used to score eight points with surprising long distance shots, a remarkably tally for a guard.

In the second half Latvians neutralised Gurskis, still maintaining a few points lead.  Then Urnevicius, seeing that everything was orthodox had failed, produced some beautiful hook shots that he had seldom done before.  

This brought the Latvians off balance and in the ensuing confusion the untiring Jaciunskas clinched victory by fast breaks.

Four Lithuanian teams from Sydney, Melbourne, Perth and Adelaide held a carnival in Adelaide and Vytis won again, defeating Melbourne in the final, although the Victorians fielded all Australian team player Dargis.

Owing to the split with SAMBA early in 1951, none of Vytis players were considered for the SA side in 1951, as they were registered with the ABL.

That was why they missed out on the Perth carnival, where an inferior SA team did not have a hope of seriously troubling either Victoria or NSW.

When the SAMBA has finally affiliated ABL, Vytis will not be overlooked by the State selectors when they start looking for a State side, 1952.

Having plenty of speed and stamina, Vytis usually play the man to man defence.  They can employ the zone defence, but it is not their favourite.

Looking superficially, it might appear that only speed and accurate shooting account for Vytis victories, yet the interwoven team spirit must not be overlooked.  Without it a great team may finish on the rocks. 

It is not enough to merely have five good payers together – only when they cease to be five separate men and become one team will they start on the road to success.

Vytis has that team spirit and the boys are also thorough sportsmen to other players.  They could hardly be more popular both with their adversaries and the public.

That is perhaps the most important thing which makes Vytis a great credit to South Australian basketball.  Even though the idea of ‘fair play’ was not invented in Lithuanian, the Lithuanians have adopted it quickly enough.

Sport Novels June 1952 Vol 13 no.3

SA Basketball part II

Most of the Vytis players have known each other since 1947, when they played in Wuerzburg, Germany.

Stasys (Stan) Urnevicius, the captain (who at 31 is the oldest of the team), learned basketball in Lithuania in his early teens, played in his college team, later for the Vilnius University and finally in the renowned LFLS team.

In Germany he lived in Wuerzburg, where Kestas Jaciunskis (born 1926) was captain of the junior team.  Virgilius Gurskis (now 21) was also there, but just learning to play.  Later Algimantas (Algis) Ignatavicius (now 20), from Schweinfurt, joined the juniors.

In Adelaide those four, although having arrived at different times. Met each other again and formed a team. By 1951 they had been joined by Nikolaj (Nick) Brovcenko (22), Vitas Merunas (30), Edvardas Kurauskas (32), Anatolijus Kitas (25) and Eugenius Pyragius (20).

The first five are; Urnevicius (right forward), Ignatavicius (centre), Jaciunskas (Left forward), Gurksis (left guard), Brovcenko (right guard).

Urnevicius (5ft 10in) is the brain of the team.  He has the onerous job of being playing coach.  He commands remarkable respect, not only form his own boys, but also from players of other clubs.

What he says goes.  His court craft is excellent.  He knows all the tricks of the trade and also how to keep the team together; when to take time outs and when to decide on fresh tactics.

His medium distance one handed shots from the shoulder are deadly.  Yet he feels that are is gradually catching up with him and that he has no more than one or two competitive seasons left.  Then he will switch to coaching alone.

Ignatavicius (5ft 10in) is the youngest and most admirable player.  His improvement has been unbelievably rapid.  In 1947 he could hardly get a place in a junior team.  In 1950 he was chosen in the all Australian team.  He plays a very elegant, fast game, dealing out quick passes and shooting goals effortlessly form anywhere over the centre line.

He seldom touches an opponent.  Most of the time he is on the move, having developed a dislike of congested places on court. However, when the going gets real close, he can fight like a tiger at the basket and he can leap high to snatch rebounds from opponents much taller than himself. 

In 1950 he was the most successful goal sneak in the association and second best in 1951.  Shortly after the 1951 season ended, Algis left for Melbourne to play with a Lithuanian team. However, it seems that he has not found things entirely to his liking there, and will be back in Adelaide before the 1952 season is over.  Just as well, otherwise his team might find it difficult to get a substitute for the vacant centre forward post.

Jaciunskas (5ft 10 in) is the team ‘tank’ but a mighty fast one.  His stamina is seemingly inexhaustible.  At the final bell he will going just as strongly as during the first minute.  His control of the ball is enviable, his fighting spirit unquenchable.

He is always where the ball is, following it in the roughest tumble.  He is an excellent medium distance goal shooter and from underneath the basket will score with his eyes closed.  His fighting heart sometimes earns penalty shots against him, but that is his only blemish.

Gurskis (6ft) is one of the staunchest and stablest SA guards.  He is Vytis vice-captain and it is amazing that at his age he should display such coolness, anticipation and presence of mind in the firmest battle.  He knows exactly where to expect a rebound form his own board and once he has put his fingers on to the leather he will never let go.  It just sticks to him.

Most feared are his accurate long distance shots, which often force a defending team to send a man forward just to prevent Gurskis from making what would be ‘pot shot’ for most players but is a  2 to 1 on certainty for Gurskis.

Brovcenko, at 6ft 1 in, the tallest man in the team, has also developed remarkably.  In 1949 he provided the spectators with tons of fun because of a little cap he wore which would inevitably fall off during a scramble.

Within 12 months he had turned into a fully fledged guard, strongly supporting Gurskis and shattering the early conception that Vytis was playing a ‘four men’s game’.

The solid veteran Kurauskas, the tall agile former Western Australian Merunas, the fast footballer Kitas, the quick witted, technically flawless Pyragius, constitute Vytis first reserve who may soon gain a permanent place if Urnevicius retires or studies compel Brovcenko to withdraw.

But when they move up, others will take place of first reserves as Vytis has a second team and many youngsters keen to improve.