1989 FIB WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP MEN

Moscow, USSR, 29 January-5 February

This tournament was the 16th World Championship ever. All games were played indoors for the first time. The arena was Olimpiskij, a multipurpose arena built for the 1980 Summer Olympics. Norway, USSR, Sweden, Finland and USA participated.

The tournament was played in a series of these five teams, after which the top two survived the finals and placed third and fourth in the bronze game. Before the final round, Finland-USSR had the situation that Finland would have enough to go to the final match by two losses against USSR. The USSR led the match 6-2. The USSR loosened their grip and Finland went to 6-4 in the last ten minutes. Finland thus advanced to the final by one goal better goal difference then Sweden. The final game between USSR and Finland had 21 500 spectators. And as many as 67 220 people visited the tournament in total. The next World Championships in 1991 changed and were played on a different system. Before the finals, playoffs were played.

USSR won the final game 12-2. Sweden defeated Norway in bronze match.

1 USSR          

Alexander Gospodtshikov, Valeri Siptshin, Igor Bondarenko, Andrei Sizov, Viktor Shakalin, Alexander Tsyganov, Sergei Zimin, Sergei Lomanov, Irik Fashutdinov, Vladimir Plavunov, Alexei Diakov, Valery Grachev, Vyacheslav Salomatov, Andrei Jefremov, Vitali Anufrienko, Maxim Poteshkin, Nikolai Pazdnikov, Vyacheslav Arhipkin, Vladimir Janko (Head coach)

2 FINLAND         

Jarmo Saastamoinen, Ben Söderling, Jarmo Haavisto, Mauri Kåhlman, Markku Niemitalo, Esko Korhonen, Esa Määttä, Risto Kontturi, Jouni Vesterinen, Kari Peuhkuri, Esko Tammilehto, Jukka Ohtonen, Janne Höltö, Ari Holopainen, Lasse Laakkonen, Mika Sillgren, Pekka Kurki, Seppo Jolkkonen (Head coach)

3 SWEDEN

Mikael Forssell, Per-Olof Petterson, Stefan Jonsson, Joe Lönngren, Kjell Berglund, Leif Lundberg, Roger Karlsson, Per Johansson, Hans Johansson, Ola Johansson, Stefan Åkerlind, Per Fosshaug, Jonas Claesson, Ola Fredricson, Niclas Johannesson, Rolf Käck (Head coach)

BEST GOAL SCORER

Nikolai Pazdnikov, USSR — 9 goals

BEST PLAYERS

Goalkeeper
Per-Olof Pettersson, Sweden

Defender
Esko Tammilehto, Finland

Midfielder
Andrei Jefremov, USSR

Forward
Aleksandr Tsyganov, USSR