Other events in Baltic States

The Latvian national men's basketball team opens its qualification campaign for the 2019 FIBA World Cup this evening, reports LETA.

Latvia will play a road game at Turkey. The match will be played in Bursa and will tip-off at 6:00 p.m. (Latvian time). The match will also be broadcast live on TV6.

In the other Group B match today, Sweden will host Ukraine.

Latvia will play its next qualifier on Sunday at home against Sweden, while Ukraine will host Turkey.

Latvia will play two more qualification windows - in February 2018 and June 2018. The teams placed first through third in the group will advance to the second qualification stage, where they will play the top three team from Group A - Spain, Slovenia, Montenegro and Belarus.

Latvia will play the first two qualifiers without five potential leaders - Kristaps Porzingis and Davis Bertans, who are currently with their respective NBA teams, as well as Euroleague players Janis Timma, Janis Strelnieks and Dairis Bertans.

Furthermore, Rolands Smits will not travel with the team to Turkey due to illness.

The roster of the Latvian basketball team for November's qualifiers is as follows:

Janis Blums (Zaragoza Tecnyconta, Spain), Aigars Skele, Ingus Jakovics (both -Ventspils), Zanis Peiners (Panevezys Lietkabelis, Lithuania), Andrejs Grazulis (Perm Parma, Russia), Rolands Smits (Fuenlabrada Montakit, Spain), Rolands Freimanis (Gaziantep, Turkey), Mareks Mejeris (VEF Riga), Anzejs Pasecniks (Gran Canaria Herbalife, Spain), Ojars Silins (Trento Dolomiti Energia, Italy), Arturs Ausejs (Pasvalys Pieno ˛vaig˛des, Lithuania), Rodions Kurucs (Barcelona Lassa, Spain).