General Director of BC Astana, Samson Arakelyan, shared insights in an in-depth interview about the club’s pre-season preparations, the revamped coaching staff, and plans for the 2025/26 season.
«Before diving into plans, I would like to greet all our fans and say this: the season ahead promises to be something truly special. We’ve received incredible support from the Ministry of Tourism and Sports, Samruk-Kazyna, and the Sport Qory foundation. For the first time in our club’s history, a significant part of our budget is being directed toward youth development.
As many of you already know, our second team, Astana-Zhastar, will be competing in the VTB United Youth League, replacing the main team’s previous role in the VTB League. It’s a serious step up — 52 games in the regular season against the youth squads of top Russian clubs. Naturally, this required tailored preparation and, frankly speaking, a stronger roster.
Our work started well before official training camps — back in May, we began scouting and holding trials, negotiating with players. One of the most important pre-season milestones was bringing in talented young Kazakh players for Astana-Zhastar. That’s a job well done, and we have high hopes for what’s ahead. I’m confident this will be a valuable learning experience for them.
Because of this, the youth team started training earlier than the main squad — they got together and began work at the Academy in early August. The senior team joined them on 15 August. Training has been nearly daily, both indoors and outdoors — including running and strength sessions at the Botanic Garden.
Now both teams have moved to the Olympic Reserve training base in Almaty, where the next phase of training — with scrimmages and friendly matches — is underway. We’ve lined up games against two teams from the National League and are planning to play a total of four friendlies.
Both Astana and Astana-Zhastar will also take part in the Kazakhstan Cup, which kicks off in Atyrau in mid-September. It’s a great chance to test ourselves. I want to thank the Basketball Federation for supporting our vision — they’ve officially confirmed the youth team’s participation in both the Kazakhstan Cup and the VTB United Youth League. The Cup will be a true test for our younger players, taking on older, more experienced opponents — but I believe they’re ready to surprise us. You can already see their hunger and passion for winning.
And on a personal level, what FC Kairat accomplished this year is a real source of motivation. It shows what’s possible when you invest in your own players. Years later, those same athletes can compete against — or even play for — top European clubs. That’s what we’re building toward.
After the Kazakhstan Cup, Astana-Zhastar will begin full prep for the VTB Youth League, which starts in early October. According to the draft schedule, the first few games will be on the road, but soon our fans will get to see the team play at home.
On the upcoming Abu Dhabi tournament
As for the senior squad, beyond the Kazakhstan National League, our main focus is the FIBA West Asia Super League (WASL). That’s why we’re planning competitive training camps in the same region where the league matches will be held. One of our key pre-season fixtures will be the Abu Dhabi International Tournament, which we’ve been invited to. It’ll take place at the end of September and into early October.
This is great news for fans — especially for Kazakh supporters who regularly travel to watch NBA pre-season games in Abu Dhabi around the same time. This year, they’ll also have the chance to come and cheer on Astana. It’s shaping up to be a great experience.
The tournament will feature clubs that are also our direct rivals in WASL — a perfect opportunity to test the squad in a competitive environment. The games will be streamed live on YouTube, so even if you’re not there in person, you can still follow along.
On changes to the coaching staff
As for newcomers, the coaching staff has seen significant changes. I’d like to thank everyone who contributed to the club last season — it was a challenging year, but a learning experience for all involved.
This season, we’ve brought in Ramūnas Čvirka, a coach from the National League who has shown he can work effectively with both local and international players. That’s especially important, given the WASL’s foreign player rule — only three imports can be registered, with two allowed on the court at a time. Ramūnas accepted our invitation and we’re happy to have him lead the team. Everything is going according to plan so far.
He built his own coaching staff — a group of experienced professionals, each with strong playing and coaching backgrounds. The senior team’s staff is now nearly complete.
Anton Ponomarev, who coached our youth team last season, will remain with the club — but this time as part of the senior squad’s staff. We believe his experience will be especially valuable given our emphasis on developing Kazakhstani players. He’ll serve as a bridge between veterans and the coaching team, and we’re pleased that he’s embraced this role.
There have also been changes in the youth team setup. Mikhail Lonshakov has stayed on as coach, but we’ve added Yakov Fokin, a coach from an Almaty-based club who won last season’s youth championship. We were impressed by his work and the progress his players showed, and we’re confident his experience will serve us well in the VTB United Youth League.
In short, the coaching team for both squads is now almost fully in place.»
