A new initiative for the development of youth basketball has been created in Riga – the Riga Basketball Excellence Development Programme, implemented by Riga municipality, Riga Basketball School in cooperation with the Latvian Basketball Union. The motto of the programme: “We are able to raise top-class athletes in Riga, the nucleus of Latvia's national basketball teams”.
“The Riga Basketball Excellence Programme is another cooperation project in which Riga demonstrates leadership – we will bring together the most talented young people and youth from all over Latvia in the U16 and U18 age groups in the capital cities and allow the strongest basketball talent to compete with each other, because only its development in sports will be faster and large sports stars will grow.
Yes, we are already proud of the achievements of our basketball players, especially young people, but do not lose the feeling that the best results are more often a successful match. . We've designed the Basketball Excellence Program to base your new talent grinding on a strong, goal-oriented system a.. According to a similar model, the new generation of basketball players is born at the Helsinki Academy of Basketball in Finland, where students start European and world-class competitions with excellent results. . We have acquired the experience of Helsinki in Riga and the Basketball Excellence Programme will aim to ensure that the top young people in basketball get the best in the field of sports, including games experience, as well as fully acquire all study subjects in the Latvian educational system. Riga, by setting up Basketball Centre of Excellence, goes into the country field in some ways, because sports talent will not only come from Riga in this program. s.. I hope that support from the Ministry of Education and Science and the State will join us at some time, but Riga is ready to be the pioneer for good things in Latvian basketball,” emphasizes Riga City Council Vice-President Vilnis Kirsis.
“for the second consecutive year the Latvian Youth sample has reached the 6th place in Europe, but it is always easier to get to the top than to hold on to it. . Many people and organisations involved in Latvian basketball do good things, but in order to achieve big goals, we need to combine our strengths s.. Therefore, it is good that both the Riga City Council and the Riga Basketball School were heard and we have agreed to work together in response to new challenges,” says Caspar Ciprus, Secretary General of the Latvian Basketball Union.
the aim of the programme is to develop a successor and effective basketball development system that provides the most talented young basketball players with opportunities to improve and prepare for the level of Latvian national teams. . The programme provides for improvement of training process, to promote individual development of players and to ensure balance between high sporting achievements and high quality education, by acquiring basic or secondary education at Riga School s.. Its main goal is to help young basketball players achieve maximum sports potential while maintaining close links with the family and the Latvian basketball environment.
the cooperation project between the Latvian Basketball Union and the Riga Basketball School was launched this summer to create a single, sustainable and top level platform of excellence for the most talented new basketball players in Latvia by combining the resources and experience of the leading Latvian basketball organisations. . The new programme is based on a comprehensive approach to the young athlete's growth, covering technical and tactical fitness, physical development, medical care, mental resilience and the development of social skills.
additional individual and mastery training, systematic health and exercise monitoring, support from physiotherapists and medical specialists, as well as mental fitness classes have been provided to participants in the programme. . The training process will be adapted to the general school curriculum in order to ensure balanced academic and physical development.
the sports director of the programme is the great Latvian basketball player and former student of Riga Basketball School Dairis Bertāns. . A Council has been established for strategic management of the programme, consisting of representatives of Riga municipalities, the Latvian Basketball Union, the Riga Basketball School and the basketball Club “TTT Riga” I..
during the 2026 –2027 season, four teams were created under the Riga Basketball Excellence Development Program. . An experienced youth basketball specialist has become involved in the implementation of the programme I.. Senior coach of U16 Edijs Šlesers and senior coach of U18 Valdis Razumovskis will work with boys' teams, while senior coach of U16 Ainars Čukste and senior coach of U18 Kaspars māja will work with girls' teams.
Riga Basketball School is one of the largest sports schools in Latvia, where more than 2,200 students are trained. . Among the graduates there are several Latvian men's basketball players, including Arthur Zagar, Kristers Zoriks, Dairis and Dāvis Bertane, Arthur Strautins.
Information prepared by: Antra Gabre, project coordinator of the Rīga municipal External Communication Department, e-mail: antra.gabre@riga.lv