SIBUR and NBA to open second refurbished basketball court in Russia under multiyear partnership

Tolyatti,  22 September 2014. The National Basketball Association (NBA) and SIBUR opened the Volgarfacility in Tolyatti to accommodate the basketball court refurbished under their multiyear partnership to provide safe and accessible basketball facilities, grow the appeal of basketball in Russia, and promote an active lifestyle.

The opening ceremony was attended by Mikhail Gordin, SIBUR’s Managing Director of the Synthetic Rubber division, Alexei Buzinny, the First Deputy Mayor of Tolyatti, Andrey Kharin, the first deputy minister of sport for the Samara Region, Vladimir Dutsev, MP in the Samara Region Duma, NBA Vice President, Russia - David Watts, and NBA legend and seven-time champion Robert Horry.

Alexey Buzinny, First Deputy Mayor of Tolyatti, said: "SIBUR and the NBA’s joint project is a remarkable example of how sport has no boundaries or nationality. SIBUR demonstrates its commitment to supporting and promoting popular sports, particularly basketball. We hope that further successful cooperation between SIBUR and the National Basketball Association will enable young men and women from Tolyatti to become recognised among new world champions."

Mikhail Gordin, Managing Director, SIBUR Synthetic Rubbers Division, said: "SIBUR is delighted to join with the NBA to support the city in promoting children’s basketball. The basketball court revamp was primarily intended as part of the initiative to support popular sports. Sports are an essential part of the Company's corporate culture. We see the promotion of sports at our enterprises as a priority both in Tolyatti and in other cities. I hope that the new court will become a launch pad for a number of budding sportsmen and that we will see new local and national champions make their first steps here."

David Watts, NBA Vice President for Russia, said: "The NBA’s goal is quite simple: it promotes basketball among adolescents and children. But adequate facilities are necessary for proper training. Thank to the efforts of SIBUR, the Administration of Tolyatti and the Government of the Samara Region who joined forces to build the new court in Tolyatti, dozens of young basketball players will be able to improve their performance in sports. This is the NBA’s first time in Tolyatti and hopefully not their last.”

The refurbished court hosted a basketball tournament between SIBUR's team and the representatives of legislative and executive bodies of the Samara Region and Tolyatti, as well as a basketball clinic for local children by Robert Horry.

The Volgar sports complex in Tolyatti is the second basketball court refurbished as part of a joint project of NBA and SIBUR to upgrade basketball courts in ten Russian cities. The improved facility in Tolyatti will increase opportunities for the community, including SIBUR’s employees and their children, to learn and play the game of basketball.

On 2 August 2014, SIBUR and NBA opened the first refurbished basketball court in Perm. The opening ceremony was attended by two NBA stars, twin brothers Brook and Robin Lopez.

For Editors:

SIBUR is a uniquely positioned vertically integrated gas processing and petrochemicals company. SIBUR owns and operates Russia’s largest gas processing business in terms of associated petroleum gas processing volumes and is a leader in the Russian petrochemicals industry.

SIBUR supports multiple professional sports clubs and projects promoting a healthy lifestyle. In 2013, it provided financial support to build the SIBUR ARENA basketball facility in Saint Petersburg and sponsored the All Starts charity basketball game. In 2014, SIBUR joined the NBA programme to promote basketball in Russia. The Company also partners the Student Basketball Association of Russia. As part of its NBA partnership, SIBUR supported the first Moscow NBA 3X Basketball tournament held on 12–13 June at the Gorky Park in Moscow.

About the NBA

The NBA is a global sports and media business built around three professional sports leagues: the National Basketball Association, the Women’s National Basketball Association, and the NBA Development League.  The league has established a major international presence with offices in 13 markets worldwide, games and programming in 215 countries and territories in 47 languages, and NBA merchandise for sale in more than 125,000 stores in 100 countries on 6 continents.  NBA rosters at the start of the 2013-14 season featured a record 92 international players from 39 countries and territories.  NBA Digital’s assets include NBA TV, which is available in 60 million U.S. homes, and NBA.com, which recorded 26.9 billion page views during the 2013-14 season, with more than half of all visitors originating from outside of North America.  The NBA is the No. 1 professional sports league on social media, with more than 650 million likes and followers globally across all league, team, and player platforms. Through NBA Cares, the league and its teams and players have donated more than $237 million to charity, completed more than 3 million hours of hands-on community service, and created more than 895 places where kids and families can live, learn, or play.

About NBA Cares

NBA Cares is the league's global social responsibility program that builds on the NBA's mission of addressing important social issues in the United States and around the world.  Through this program, the NBA, its teams and players have donated more than $237 million to charity, completed more than 3 million hours of hands-on community service, and created more than 895 places where kids and families can live, learn, or play, in 25 countries and territories on five continents.  NBA Cares works with internationally recognized youth-serving programs that support education, youth and family development, and health-related causes, including: KaBOOM!, Special Olympics, YMCA, Boys and Girls Clubs of America, UNICEF, the Make-A-Wish Foundation, Share Our Strength and GLAAD.