Astana Basketball Club may face a reduction in funding. The situation surrounding the team was commented on by the Ministry of Tourism and Sports of Kazakhstan... reports the website infohub.kz.

The Committee for Sports and Physical Culture Development noted that in recent years, Astana's results have not met the set objectives. The past VTB United League season was particularly unsuccessful: the team finished last, 12th place, with only two wins in 44 games.

The loss rate exceeded 95% – the worst in the club's history in the league. Moreover, over eight years, Astana failed to reach the playoffs.

The team also did not succeed domestically: it lost in the Kazakhstan Cup and failed to win the National League title.

The Ministry reminded that last year a law was adopted aimed at improving the efficiency of sports funding. Key priorities include developing national teams, preparing a sports reserve, and refusing to fund foreign players from the budget.

"Under the current circumstances, the possibility of revising approaches to the development of domestic basketball is being considered. The priority will be the development of the youth team, preparation of a sports reserve, and support for children's and youth sports," the Ministry stated.

The National Basketball Federation of Kazakhstan said it has reviewed the decision to reduce funding for BC Astana and supports the course towards developing young Kazakh players.

The Federation emphasized its readiness to cooperate with the Ministry, the club, and other stakeholders.

"The common goal is to maintain the competitiveness of Kazakh basketball, create conditions for the further development of young talents, and find effective solutions that will ensure a worthy representation of the country on the international stage," the Federation's statement reads.

In May of this year, Kursiv reported that basketball club Astana lost all matches in the West Asian Super League (WASL) in Beirut. Against this backdrop, the club's management announced that the team would miss the next VTB United League season.