Roman Knyazev and Zenit’s youth team players held a masterclass for pupils of Gazprom School St. Petersburg

On Tuesday, January 28, the head coach of Zenit U21 Roman Knyazev along with youth team players Alexander Porotnikov and Zakhar Romashov visited Gazprom School St. Petersburg, where they conducted a masterclass for students in grades 7–10.

The session began with a warm-up led by Zakhar Romashov. Then, Roman Knyazev and the team players conducted a training session, during which the students practiced shooting techniques, two-step moves and ball stops. The masterclass concluded with a friendly 5-on-5 basketball game, allowing participants to apply their newly acquired skills in a real match.

Roman Knyazev, Zenit U21 head coach:

The event went great! It was a pleasure to visit such a prestigious school. The students who participated were already familiar with basketball, so the session went smoothly! Many thanks to the management of Gazprom School for the invitation. We would be happy to take part in similar masterclasses again.

Zakhar Romashov, Zenit U21 guard:

We had a great training session, and the pupils demonstrated good knowledge of our city’s basketball history. During the training, they listened attentively to the coach and tried to perform the exercises correctly. We had a great time. I hope to take part in such events more often.

Alexander Porotnikov, Zenit U21 guard:

First of all, I want to thank Gazprom School for the invitation. It is a large-scale school with numerous opportunities for children’s development in various fields. Roman Olegovich provided the students with some basic basketball skills, and Zakhar and I helped correct their mistakes. The rest of the time, we played a 5-on-5 game. Honestly, I was surprised by the pupils' abilities. Despite not being basketball players, many of them had great potential and skills. I would love to participate in such events more often to share and experience positive emotions.