Other events in Baltic States

In the opening match of the ULEB Eurocup tournament last night, Latvian basketball club ''Ventspils'' defeated Montenegrin basketball club Podgorica ''Buducnost Voli'' 82:75. ''VEF Riga'' was crushed by Russian basketball club Moscow Region ''Khimki'' 65:94 in their opening match of this season's ULEB Eurocup tournament, informs LETA.

''Ventspils'' has returned to the second most prestigious European cup basketball tournament after a six year absence.

The highest scorer for the Latvian club was Mire Chatman with 19 points, followed by Troy Barnies and Harvey Grant with 12 points a piece.

Meanwhile, the highest scorer for Podgorica was J.R.Reynolds with 18 points.

''Ventspils'' will play its next Eurocup match on October 22 at Russian basketball club Krasnodar ''Lokomotiv-Kuban''.

"Ventspils" is in Eurocup Group F with Krasnodar "Lokomotiv-Kuban" (Russia), Karsiyaka "Pinar" (Turkey), Podgorica "Buducnost Voli" (Montenegro), Zielona Gura "Stelmet" (Poland) and Thessaloniki PAOK (Greece).

In the other group matches yesterday, PAOK defeated ''Pinar'' 87:81, while ''Lokomotiv-Kuban'' defeated ''Stelmet'' 97:78.

Latvian basketball club ''VEF Riga'' was crushed by Russian basketball club Moscow Region ''Khimki'' 65:94 in their opening match of this season's ULEB Eurocup tournament.

Gerald Robinson was the highest scorer for ''VEF Riga'' with 21 points, followed by Janis Timma with 17 points.

Meanwhile, Tyrese Rice was the highest scorer for ''Khimki'' with 16 points, followed by Egor Vyaltsev with 14 points.

''VEF Riga'' will play its next Eurocup group match on October 22 at home against Hungarian club ''Olaj KK''.

''VEF Riga'' is in Eurocup Group D together with Moscow Region "Khimki" (Russia), St.Petersburg "Zenit" (Russia), Istanbul "Beshiktas" (Turkey), Ljubljana "Union Olympia" (Slovenia) and Szolnoki "Olaj KK" (Hungary).

In the other group matches yesterday, ''Union Olimpija'' defeated ''Beshiktas'' 70:68, while ''Olaj KK'' defeated ''Zenit'' 96:94.

In the preliminary stage of the tournament, 36 clubs have been divided into six groups, and they will play two rounds (home and away versus each of the other five). The preliminary stage will end December 17, with the top four clubs from each group advancing further to a second group stage.