By Oleksiy Naumov

Ukraine have handed the reins of the men's national team to BC Kyiv coach Vitaliy Cherniy.

The job has been vacant since Valentyn Melnychuk left after last year's Relegation Round games.

The Ukrainians avoided the drop into Division B and will therefore try to reach EuroBasket 2011 in Lithuania.

They will take on Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Former Yugoslavian Republic of Macedonia, Hungary and Great Britain in qualifying games this summer.

Cherniy has done a good job with Kyiv, who are fourth in Ukraine's Superleague with 16 wins and eight defeats.

He's no stranger to the national team after serving as an assistant to Vitaliy Lebedintsev three years ago.

Olexandr Volkov, the president of the Ukraine Basketball Federation, said: "The aim is to advance to the EuroBasket Final Round and then to qualify for the Olympic Games.

"Cherniy has been appointed because he's done a great job of coaching BC Kyiv this season - the team that will be the base of the national team."

Cherniy is optimistic, but knows that numerous factors will determine whether or not Ukraine achieve their aims.

"The success of the team will depend on whether all players buy into my system," he said.

"It will also depend on whether everyone, including my assistants, who I need to carefully select, are going to be on the same page."

Ukraine will begin their qualifying campaign at home against the Macedonians on August 2.