BC Astana
Astana Basketball Club (), commonly referred to as BC Astana, is a Kazakh professional basketball club that is based in Nur-Sultan, Kazakhstan. Founded in 2011, it has competed in the Kazakhstan Basketball Championship and the VTB United League since, obtaining a slew of domestic titles in the process. History. BC Astana was created in March 2011, with the aim of competing in the VTB United League. Valery Tikhonenko was chosen as the team's general director. There were doubts expressed by other clubs in the VTB United League, about whether or not the club would be a good  addition to the competition, due to the lack of basketball tradition in Kazakhstan; but the side answered all the admission requirements, including their budget, stadium (a revamped Saryarka Velodrome) and the proximity of hotels, and an international airport. The side received the totality of its funding from the Samruk-Kazyna sovereign wealth fund. They would sign a number of Kazakhstani players from successful side Astana Tigers, also recruiting their head coach, Vitaly Strebkov, to serve as the team's assistant coach. In their first season in the VTB United regional league, the team from Kazakhstan won 7 games out of  16 during 2011–12 regular season, including games against strong sides, such as Žalgiris and the defending title holders, Khimki, nearly reaching the playoffs. They had more success on the domestic front, winning the Kazakhstani national domestic league championship, and the Kazakhstani Cup. The team became a part of the Astana Presidential Club multi-sports club, when it was formed in December 2012. Arenas. BC Astana plays its home basketball games at the Saryarka Velodrome, which has a seating capacity of 10,000 people for basketball games. There is also a possibility to play games at newly built (2019) martial arts palace  Zhekpe-zhek with capacity of 5000 people in the stands. Notable players. - Set a club record or won an individual award as a professional player. - Played at least one official international match for his senior national team.