Bohdan Hulyamov, President of the Kyiv basketball club Budivelnyk, in an interview provided by the club's press service and published by Sport RBC.UA, revealed the team's strategic ambitions at the international level. The official confirmed that the club purposefully aims to represent Ukrainian basketball in European tournaments, but outlined two systemic obstacles currently hindering full-scale competition: the unstable security situation in Ukraine and the insufficient level of rivalry in the national championship.
War and Logistics: Why Home Matches Are Impossible
Hulyamov emphasized that the conflict on the territory of Ukraine creates severe organizational difficulties for any professional club. In particular, Budivelnyk lacks the opportunity to host home matches on Ukrainian territory. This means the team is forced to move its 'home' games to other countries, which increases costs, complicates the calendar, and deprives fans of the opportunity to support the club in the usual format. The club president noted that playing without spectators is a fundamentally different emotional and organizational context, which reduces the motivation and atmosphere characteristic of European basketball.
'Every Trip is a Risk': The Road Safety Problem
Hulyamov focused separately on the risks associated with away matches. According to him, Russian shelling of roads makes every trip potentially dangerous. 'The war continues, we cannot play at home. The Russians are constantly shelling the roads, so potentially every trip is a risk. It is stress, it is constant fatigue from the road,' stated the club president. He also referred to the words of Vitaliy Cherniy, who before the start of the season precisely formulated the core of the problem: performing in Europe under current conditions is primarily a matter of logistics and security, not just sporting level.
Internal Competition as a Condition for Development
Hulyamov named the level of internal competition in Ukrainian basketball as the second key factor necessary for successful performances on the European arena. The club president expressed gratitude to all participants of the Women's Superleague and the Basketball Federation of Ukraine for keeping the national championship functioning amid the war. At the same time, he pointedly stated that Budivelnyk needs strong opposition for its development: without competitive rivals inside the country, the team cannot reach the form required for European cups. 'But playing just to participate is not about Budivelnyk,' Hulyamov emphasized, referring to the historical name and DNA of the club.
'The Biggest Brand in the History of Ukrainian Basketball'
Concluding the conversation about ambitions, the Budivelnyk president recalled the club's status in domestic sports. According to him, Budivelnyk is the biggest brand in the history of Ukrainian basketball, and this obliges the team to strive for the maximum regardless of whether the players are women or men. 'Women or men — we must be the best,' Hulyamov summed up. Earlier, he also spoke about the fate of the capital club's men's team, demonstrating the management's comprehensive approach to developing both directions.
Thus, Budivelnyk's position remains unchanged: the club aims for the European arena, but realizing this course requires both external conditions — security and the ability to play matches on its own territory — and internal ones — a stable and competitive national championship. Until both of these conditions are met to a sufficient degree, the club's ambitions will remain limited by logistical and organizational frameworks.
