Growing basketball in Russia, a country with a long legacy of excellence in the sport, is a common goal for Euroleague Basketball, Spalding and CSKA. With other strategic partners in the country like broadcaster NTV Plus and the VTB Arena entertainment and sports complex, Euroleague Basketball plans to create opportunity to lift the sport and its role in Russian society.
Spalding became a Euroleague Basketball partner this season as the global provider of the official ball for both the Turkish Airlines Euroleague and the Eurocup. That partnership will now expand to include cooperation with Russia's most famous sporting club, CSKA Moscow, which was among the One Team program's founding partners. One Team began with eight participating Euroleague Basketball teams and has grown to 15 in its first year.
Wednesday's press conference came one day before CSKA was to host a One Team pregame ceremony on Thursday prior to its last home game of the Turkish Airlines Euroleague Regular season. The press conference included appearances by CSKA superstars Viktor Khryapa and Sonny Weems, who also helped present the club's One Team project before the season. CSKA has chosen to work with the “All-Russian Kids Orlyonok Center” through summer camps for children living in orphanages and those with intellectual disabilities to teach them life skills essential for acceptance and integration. CSKA also works during the season at Orphanage ¹4 in Moscow to support youths with disabilities and is evaluating ways to implement the One Team program all over Russia.
Andrey Vatutin, CSKA President:
First of all I’d like to thank Jordi for coming, for finding some time in his tough schedule. During these past years, Euroleague has improved a lot, not only as competition but as a global project. It is very important to have the programs like One Team. Definitely, it would be easier to stay away from the problems of the people with disabilities. I am happy that this is not the case, and that European values of caring about the people and organizing social projects are coming to Russia. And I am proud that basketball is involved in this process. CSKA as a club and our players personally are happy to participate in the project. We liked our experience at the Orlyonok kids camp and we hope to continue it next summer. The kids from the Orphanage ¹4 in Moscow for children with intellectual disabilities will participate in the special ceremony before the game tomorrow. I hope that all the Euroleague teams join this project.
Jordi Bertomeu, Euroleague Basketball President and CEO
Euroleague Basketball and Spalding share the goal of supporting the development of basketball in Russia, and One Team is the perfect vehicle to reach that goal. Euroleague Basketball and Spalding also plan to work on several grass-roots projects in Russia in order to promote basketball. Euroleague, Spalding, CSKA and our partners here in Russia have the same goal, so it only seems natural to work together. We would like to use our collective efforts to get more Russian kids playing basketball, to interact more with the local communities and to deliver a strong framework to further develop our sport in Russia.
Jeffrey Ramsey, Spalding representative in Russia
I also wanted to thank Euroleague and CSKA for our successful cooperation. For the past twenty years, Spalding became an integral part of Russian basketball. I'm proud to sit here with this people. It's very good that our society thinks about those who have problems and is ready to help them. Spalding supports the One Team project. I hope we will continue our work all together.
Victor Khryapa, CSKA forward:
The fact that we are sitting at this table says that all of us, from management to the players, are ready to help, to participate in such important projects as One Team. The players are the people who contact to the kids directly and our goal is to help them to feel more comfortable in our society. During these clinics, we are not just teaching them how to play better, but also to communicate, to play in a team, to help each other. Many teams in Europe and all over the world have their CSR programs, but we can reach better results by joining forces together.
Sonny Weems, CSKA forward:
I know how it’s important to pay attention to such kids and their problems. I grew in a regular family with my mom, dad, brothers and sisters. But there are children who need help. Every time I walked in a gym I saw them. They lived basketball as I did. I know that basketball can keep you in life. So now I have an opportunity to help them, to show how to play and communicate, maybe I can teach them something just to see how they play with joy and smile and that brightens my day. That’s great, I’m happy to be a part of this program.
