Kataja
Kataja logo
LeaguesKorisliiga
Founded1949 (1949)
ArenaMotonet Areena
Capacity2,500
LocationJoensuu, Finland
PresidentJukka Törmälä
Head coachPetri Virtanen
Championships2 Finnish Leagues
4 Finnish Cups
Retired numbers4 (9)(11) (14) (15)
Websitekatajabasket.fi

Kataja Basket Club is a professional basketball club of sports club Kataja from Joensuu, Finland. The team plays in the Korisliiga, the highest tier of Finnish basketball. In 2015, Kataja won its first national championship, after it beat Bisons Loimaa 3–2 in the Finnish Finals.

History

The basketball activity of the club started in 1955. In 1961, the team started playing in the Joensuu Sports Hall. The team started in provincial competitions, but quickly promoted to the national level in the 1960s. From 1976 till 1980, the team played continuously in the highest Finnish division. In the 2001–02 season, the team won its first trophy when it won the Finnish Cup. In 2015, the first championship of Kataja was realized after a 3–2 Finals series win against Bisons Loimaa. In the 2012–13 season, Kataja started participating in European competitions when it entered the EuroChallenge. The team immediately reached the quarterfinals of the competition, and has played in Europe every season since.[1]

Achievements

Champions (2): 2014–15, 2016–17
Champions (4): 2002, 2011, 2012, 2023

Players

Retired numbers

Kataja Basket Club retired numbers
No. Nat. Player Position Tenure
11FinlandEero OksavaG1963–1980

Current roster

Kataja BC roster
PlayersCoaches
Pos.No.Nat.NameHt.Wt.Age
SG 1 United States Sibande, Nike 1.93 m (6 ft 4 in) 84 kg (185 lb) 24 – (1999-06-06)6 June 1999
SG 4 Finland Hirvonen, Tuomas 1.81 m (5 ft 11 in) 78 kg (172 lb) 27 – (1996-05-17)17 May 1996
PG 5 United States Singleton, Grant 1.83 m (6 ft 0 in) 75 kg (165 lb) 23 – (2000-08-01)1 August 2000
PG 8 Finland Purmonen, Otso 1.86 m (6 ft 1 in) 80 kg (176 lb) 17 – (2006-10-25)25 October 2006
SG 10 Finland Lindberg, Sebastian 1.81 m (5 ft 11 in) 78 kg (172 lb) 27 – (1996-05-17)17 May 1996
SF 12 Nigeria Egekeze, Amanze (C) 2.03 m (6 ft 8 in) 100 kg (220 lb) 28 – (1995-12-03)3 December 1995
SF 18 Finland Pöntinen, Aale 1.97 m (6 ft 6 in) 93 kg (205 lb) 20 – (2003-10-08)8 October 2003
C 20 United States Donzo, Vatangoe 2.01 m (6 ft 7 in) 95 kg (209 lb) 23 – (2000-01-28)28 January 2000
SF 21 Finland Knihtinen, Teemu 1.94 m (6 ft 4 in) 89 kg (196 lb) 25 – (1998-12-10)10 December 1998
C 22 Canada Lufile, Elijah 2.01 m (6 ft 7 in) 127 kg (280 lb) 26 – (1997-11-07)7 November 1997
SF 23 Finland Tumba, Thomas 1.96 m (6 ft 5 in) 96 kg (212 lb) 26 – (1997-04-15)15 April 1997
SG 45 Finland Permanto, Henri 1.97 m (6 ft 6 in) 88 kg (194 lb) 22 – (2001-03-05)5 March 2001
PG Finland Karhu, Ville 1.81 m (5 ft 11 in) 75 kg (165 lb) 19 – (2004-01-23)23 January 2004
Head coach
  • Finland Petri Virtanen
Assistant coach(es)
  • Finland Teemu Turunen
Legend
  • (C) Team captain
  • Injured Injured
Updated: November 25, 2023

Notable players

- Set a club record or won an individual award as a professional player.
- Played at least one official international match for his senior national team at any time.

Season by season

Season Tier League Pos. Finnish Cup[lower-alpha 1] European competitions
2010–11 1 Korisliiga 2nd Champion
2011–12 1 Korisliiga 2nd Champion
2012–13 1 Korisliiga 3rd 3 EuroChallengeQF6–8
2013–14 1 Korisliiga 2nd — 3 EuroChallengeRS2–4
2014–15 1 Korisliiga 1st 3 EuroChallengeRS0–6
2015–16 1 Korisliiga 5th 3 FIBA Europe CupR325–7
2016–17 1 Korisliiga 1st 3 Champions LeagueRS6–8
4 FIBA Europe CupR160–2
2017–18 1 Korisliiga 6th 3 Champions LeagueQR31–1–2
4 FIBA Europe CupR24–8
2018–19 1 Korisliiga 3rd
  1. ↑ The Finnish Cup competition was dissolved after 2013.

References

  1. ↑ "Kataja Basket Club History". Eurobasket.com. Retrieved 14 September 2016.
  2. ↑ Fiifi Aidoo siirtyy Espanjan kolmannen sarjatason seuraan (Helsingin Sanomat), 11 August 2020. Accessed 9 February 2021.(in Finnish)
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