Kondrashin and Belov Cup. Preview
This year, the tournament has received official status and has been included in the calendar of events under the auspices of the Russian Basketball Federation. In addition, for the first time since the Cup’s revival, a special committee will be created to select the tournament’s symbolic five.
We tell you everything you need to know about the fifth edition of the Cup named after the legends of Leningrad basketball.
Quotes
Alexander Tserkovny, Zenit BC CEO:
Hosting the Vladimir Kondrashin and Alexander Belov Cup is always an honor and a great responsibility for us. This historic and now traditional tournament is an excellent opportunity for participants to test their strength before the upcoming season, for fans to see their new team, and for veterans — a wonderful occasion to meet again, recall the past, and watch their favorite game.
Alexandra Ovchinnikova, widow of Alexander Belov, honoured master of sports of the USSR, European and world champion:
The tournament in memory of two basketball geniuses, known as the Vladimir Kondrashin and Alexander Belov Cup, once again opens the new basketball season in St. Petersburg. The Cup was played for decades, but when the Leningrad and later St. Petersburg Spartak disappeared, there was a real threat that the Cup itself would vanish, along with the gradual fading of memory of our legendary compatriots — Vladimir Petrovich Kondrashin and Alexander Belov, who brought the greatest victory in the history of Soviet basketball. Time covers even those inscribed in the golden annals of glory. At first, the efforts of the city sports committee and the St. Petersburg Basketball Federation were not enough to hold the tournament properly. Later, the Kondrashin and Belov Foundation, headed by Alexander Belov’s cousin Igor Onokov, stepped in to save it. But their resources also had limits. At that very moment, Zenit arrived, and with its appearance, mythical hopes turned into reality. This is already Zenit’s fifth Cup edition. The tradition has been restored. I hope this time it is truly for the long term — or better yet, forever — as Vladimir Petrovich Kondrashin and Alexander Belov deserve, and as basketball itself deserves.
Zenit
This offseason, Zenit went through major changes. One of the biggest shifts happened on the coaching bench: after more than five years, Xavi Pascual and his staff left the club. Now, under Aleksander Sekulic, the team faces new challenges. Since the head coach is currently busy at EuroBasket with the Slovenian national team, Zenit will be led at the Cup by first assistant Jurica Zuza, who already held a training camp in Antalya.
The roster has also been significantly reshaped. New arrivals include foreigners Levi Randolph, Andre Roberson, Neno Dimitrijevic, and Russian players Vladislav Emchenko, Dmitry Uzinskiy and Andrey Martiuk. In the coming days, the renewed team will have a great chance to claim the Cup for the fifth consecutive time!
UNICS
UNICS has long been a traditional guest at the Kondrashin and Belov Cup. Velimir Perasovic’s team will participate for the third time in a row, and for the Croatian coach, this marks his fifth season in Kazan.
This summer, UNICS worked actively on the transfer market, signing a core of foreign players. But one of the most interesting pieces of news for St. Petersburg fans was the move of former Zenit guard Denis Zakharov to Kazan.
BETCITY PARMA
UNICS’ semifinal opponent will be PARMA — another club known for stability in the coaching department. Evgeny Pashutin has been leading the team since 2022. The Perm squad last participated in the Kondrashin and Belov Cup in 2021, and now they return to the basketball festival.
Last season, the Ural team had a strong performance, once again reaching the VTB United League playoffs and falling in the quarterfinals to Zenit. Known for their grit and discipline, PARMA will surely put up a fight on the St. Petersburg court.
Dynamo
Primorye’s Dynamo will make its debut at the Kondrashin and Belov Cup. The 2023/24 Super League champions will certainly be the dark horse of the tournament. They will face Zenit in the semifinal.
This matchup is especially notable because guard Daniil Aksenov, who was one of the leaders of Zenit’s farm team last season, returned to Dynamo this summer. Another newcomer is ex-Zenit player Andrey Desyatnikov, who swapped Kazakhstan for Primorye in the offseason.
Referees
The chief referee of the tournament will be All-Russian category referee Igor Demenkov. He will be assisted by Anton Makhlin, also an All-Russian category referee and deputy chief referee. Officiating on the court this year will be FIBA referees Ilya Putenko and Alexey Davydov, along with All-Russian category referees Andrey Lugovoy, Semyon Ovinov, Anton Kruglov and Sergey Mikhailov.
Game schedule
September 8
16:30 — Semifinal: UNICS vs BETCITY PARMA
19:30 — Semifinal: Zenit vs Dynamo
September 9
16:30 — Third-place game
19:30 — Final
Exclusive broadcast will be available on Okko Sport.
Tickets are still on sale on Zenit’s official website: DAY 1 and DAY 2.
