The North Caucasus Federal University hosted a basketball tournament in memory of the USSR Master of Sports Vagif Gadzhimetov, the legendary coach of the Southern Elephant student team. Four student teams and six veteran teams from the Stavropol Territory took part in the three–day competition - about 100 players in total.

The tournament was a tribute to the memory of the coach, whose work over the years has shaped the image of college basketball in the region. Vagif Gadzhimetov has been the head of the NCFU Southern Elephant student basketball team since 2012, and under his leadership the club became a nine-time champion of the ASB Kavkaz division, as well as a multiple winner of regional, district and all-Russian competitions. Prior to that, he worked as the head coach of the professional basketball club Dynamo Stavropol.

The opening ceremony was attended by distinguished guests – Andrey Zarudnev, Deputy General Director for Financial Affairs of Stavropol Dairy Plant JSC, as well as members of the Gadzhimetov family: Malakhatgulmagomed's wife, brother Firidin and daughter Samira. In their welcoming speech, they noted the importance of the tournament as a continuation of the work of the coach, whom they knew and remembered not only as a high-level specialist, but also as a Man with a capital letter.

According to the results of the competition, the winners were determined in two categories.

Among student teams:

1st place – BC Yuzhny Slon – NCFU;

2nd place – BC Kolos – SSAU;

3rd place – BC "Fortress – StSMU".

Among the veterans:

1st place – BC Stavropol;

2nd place – BC Rostov-on-Don;

3rd place – BC "KCR".

The Vagif Emirmetovich Gadzhimetov memorial tournament brought together several generations of basketball players on one site – those who knew him personally and those who continue the work to which he devoted his life.