Anastasia Ziaditdinova, married to CSKA Moscow basketball star Alexei Shved, spoke in response to remarks made by a person involved in the incident that targeted her husband. The remarks allegedly described their homeland in a derogatory way, as reported by Sport Express.
Speaking about the moment after they left the restaurant, Ziaditdinova recalled a large group approaching them. She explained that the group recognized her husband and jeered at him, saying they had lost a bet because of him. She defended her husband, stating that he is outstanding and that those comments were misguided and hurtful.
She addressed online rumors alleging that she had named a nation. Ziaditdinova clarified her own background, noting that her father is Tatar and Muslim, her grandfather served as a mosque mullah, and thus she identifies as Tatar. She added that Shved has close friends from Chechnya and that a Chechen and an Azerbaijani were present with them in the group at that time. She suggested that outsiders may have misread the situation or assumed she held a certain view about a nationality.
Authorities reported that the couple spent May 1 in a central Moscow restaurant with friends. Upon exiting, an altercation occurred between Shved and several members of the crowd. The basketball player was struck and fell, suffering a cut and bleeding from the ear, before staff members intervened and summoned medical help. The medical team determined that Shved had been unconscious for a period following the assault, and two suspects were detained in connection with the incident.
An independent medical professional, Konstantin Sergeev, who previously led the Center for Traumatology and Orthopedics, commented on Shved’s condition as it was reported at the time, offering clinical insights into the injuries and subsequent recovery process. The situation drew attention to safety concerns for public figures in crowded urban spaces and highlighted the need for prompt medical assessment in such events. Citations: Sport Express; medical commentary from the Center for Traumatology and Orthopedics.