Gazprombank and the Russian Basketball Federation are showcasing the Basketball Academy initiative, recently unveiled in Kaliningrad during EEF 2024. The bank’s press service describes this as a standard, scalable model for establishing basketball centers across many regions of Russia.
It is worth remembering that at EEF 2023 a cooperation agreement was signed between Pavel Brousser, First Deputy Chairman of Gazprombank, and Andrei Kirilenko, Chairman of the Russian Stock Exchange, to develop standard basketball centers in 79 Russian regions. The Federation will serve as the sole operator, while Gazprombank will participate as an investor and the financing organizer for the project companies involved.
Construction of the Basketball Academy in Kaliningrad is currently underway. The facility will feature a basketball court, a swimming pool, and a gym, reflecting a compact, multi-purpose design.
Under the standard solution, medium-sized centers of up to 7,000 square meters and larger centers ranging from 7,000 to 9,000 square meters can be established. This approach is designed to streamline project packaging into turnkey formats and support efficient management of the facilities upon completion, according to Gazprombank.
The financial institution notes that the standard centers will be able to host competitions for clubs and national teams. In addition, these venues are expected to attract additional investments into regional sports development and to optimize budget expenditures through federal backing and favorable financing terms.
Alexey Chichkanov, First Deputy Chairman of Gazprombank, described social infrastructure projects as an absolute priority for the bank. He emphasized that sports facilities contribute to a comfortable living environment alongside schools, clinics, and parks. The development of such infrastructure can also spur new housing construction and improved roads, and he expressed belief that elite sports and healthy living are promising areas for public-private partnership mechanisms in the regions.
Andrei Kirilenko, President of the Russian federation, highlighted that the aim is not only to expand basketball across the country and build modern centers but also to improve management so that new facilities attract the maximum number of athletes and visitors, thereby generating regional income.