Slovakia coaching great Natalia Hejkova has been a important part of the Russia women's national team the past couple of years, assisting Igor Grudin on the gold-medal winning side at EuroBasket Women 2007 and last summer in Beijing when the side captured bronze.

With Russia having moved in a different direction - Grudin stepped aside and Samara men's team boss Valery Tikhonenko took the reins - Hejkova also moved into a different direction.

She agreed to become sports director of the Slovakia national team, the team she once coached.

Hejkova, who steered Spartak Moscow Region to back-to-back EuroLeague Women titles and is now at the helm of EuroCup Women championship contenders Dynamo Moscow, gave this interview to Basketball World News for FIBA Europe.

FIBA Europe: Natalia, we've heard about your decision to take up the post of sports director of Slovakia's national team. What will your role be? Will you be on the bench during games with your former assistant at Spartak Moscow Region, Slovakia coach Pokey Chatman?

Natalia Hejkova: My role is to help Pokey with all the problems during the preparations for the European Championship and of course in Latvia, to give her all my coaching experience with events such as the European Championship. We haven't spoken about the bench, but she has an assistant coach...

FIBA Europe: The good news is that you will be in Latvia, then, for Slovakia. But it's bad news for Russia since you will not be helping coach the national team anymore. What was that experience like for you, working with the Russian team?

Natalia Hejkova: Everything changed in the Russian team. When (CSKA Moscow coach) Igor Grudin gave up his position (as Russia coach), (Spartak Moscow Region supremo) Shabtai Kalmanovic became the new general manager, so my role finished. It was a great time to be a part of a great Russian team, to feel personally how it goes with a big and rich team and to get a bronze at the Olympic Games and to win the European Championship. It was a great experience. I did not lose touch with the national team level of basketball.  

FIBA Europe: How confident are you that Slovakian women's basketball is moving in the right direction now they have reached the EuroBasket Women?

Natalia Hejkova: The direction is right, of course - after eight years we are back again. But the team is very young and the players have to work very, very hard in order not to play the role of an outsider in Latvia and to reach the next European Championship, too.

FIBA Europe: Does this impact your position with Dynamo Moscow?

Natalia Hejkova: No, after the season in Russia (at the end of April) before the summer holidays, I have some free time so could be in Slovakia.

FIBA Europe: Thanks Natalia, and good luck with Dynamo and Slovakia.