Sergey Bykov: «UNICS is a landmark for the growth of young basketball players»

Interview

06.10.2023

Sergey BYKOV, Head of the Sports Sponsorship department of PJSC SIBUR Holding, European basketball champion, Honored Master of Sports and former UNICS guard, answered questions from the press service of the Kazan club as part of the opening of the Street Basketball and Handball Center.

– Sergey, please tell us, what are the goals of the project?

– This playground is part of a comprehensive plan for the development of SIBUR basketball. In simple terms, we have a social investment program Formula of Good Deeds aimed at solving problems in the regions. Within the framework of this program, much attention is paid to the support and development of youth basketball. In particular, the qualifying stages of the basketball school Final Camp are held – these are kind of social lifts for children from the regions. In addition, there is an educational program of the distance learning course Coach:2.0, I think you've heard of it. Of course, an important goal of the project is also the development of infrastructure, the creation of high-quality basketball equipment, in this case, our wonderful balls.

– You visit the regions of our country a lot, and you also visit the capital of Tatarstan. How do you think basketball is developing in Kazan at all levels?

– The main thing is that there is a landmark in your region – the UNICS professional basketball club. Last season, Kazan became champions of Russia and the VTB United League for the first time in their history, with which I sincerely congratulate you! Unfortunately, I was not able to experience these emotions as part of your team (smiles). I repeat, there is a guideline, and this is one of the main factors in the growth of young basketball fans.

In general, there are a large number of children in any region who are passionate about our sport. Moreover, Kazan is the sports capital of Russia. The younger generation of Kazan residents has great opportunities to prove themselves, grow to a high level and experience the sensations that UNICS experienced in the last championship, winning the championship title.

– Moving on to UNICS. Due to what, in your opinion, did the team manage to win the long-awaited gold of the VTB United League championship last season?

– It is difficult for me to judge, I was not inside the Kazan team. However, I will note the general rule that unites all championship teams. This is, first of all, the high-quality work of the entire club staff. The rays of glory, as a rule, go to the coaching staff and the players of the team, but I can imagine how much work is done by the employees who remain behind the scenes. I am sure that along with the athletes, the entire club staff worked very well!

Speaking about the sports component of victory, I would like to note the phenomenon of head coach Velimir Perasovic. In my opinion, he knows how to get the most out of his players. I watched the final matches between UNICS and Lokomotiv Kuban. Of course, there was a champion mentality and chemistry within UNICS. Now it is important for you to gain a foothold on this peak. After all, as they say: It doesn't matter who climbed the mountain, it's important to be able to stay there. That's what I wish you!