--- title: "Ivan Tkachenko officially joins Latvian Rīgas Zelti and will play in the EuroCup" description: "Ukraine national team forward Ivan Tkachenko has officially joined Latvian Rīgas Zelti and will play in the EuroCup in the new season. The transfer was forced for the club due to a serious injury to guard Toms Skuja." date: 2026-09-02T12:40:01.000Z lang: en url: https://xab.info/en/posts/ivan-tkachenko-rigas-zelti-eurocup tags: [ukraine-basketball, rigas-zelti, eurocup, ivan-tkachenko, latvia] publisher: "XAB.info" --- # Ivan Tkachenko officially joins Latvian Rīgas Zelti and will play in the EuroCup ![Ivan Tkachenko in the Ukraine national team jersey shoots a basket during a game, set to play in the EuroCup after joining Latvian Riga Zelti](https://xab.info/media/2026/09/02/ivan-tkachenko-rigas-zelti-eurocup/ivan-tkachenko-rigas-zelti-eurocup-1.webp) ## 🎯 Key Points - Ivan Tkachenko has officially become a player of Latvian Rīgas Zelti and will compete at the EuroCup level in the new season. - The transfer was forced for the club due to a serious injury to guard Toms Skuja, with the roster already assembled. - Tkachenko does not count toward the foreign player quota; he previously played two seasons in Riga for Prometey and won the Latvian-Estonian league twice. The European basketball market continues to take shape ahead of the new season. Ukraine national team forward Ivan Tkachenko has officially become a player of the Latvian club Rīgas Zelti, which will compete at the EuroCup level in the upcoming campaign. This is reported by Sport RBC.UA, citing the official website of the Ukrainian Basketball Federation. ### A forced move for the club According to the publication, the Ukrainian's transfer was a forced one for the Riga-based side. The team had already fully assembled its main roster for the season, but a serious injury to guard Toms Skuja forced the management to urgently look for reinforcement. Under these circumstances, signing a player familiar with Riga appeared to be a logical and swift decision. ### Why Tkachenko became the priority Rīgas Zelti's interest in the Ukrainian is explained by several factors. Previously, Tkachenko spent two seasons in Riga with Prometey and won the Latvian-Estonian Basketball League twice, which speaks to his familiarity with the format and level of the region. An additional advantage was that the player would not count toward the foreign player quota, which is important for a club that had already completed its roster. ### The coaching staff's assessment Rīgas Zelti manager Edgars Buls noted that he and the rest of the coaching staff were impressed by Tkachenko's performance while watching Ukraine national team games. "Moreover, Ivan made it clear that he would like to stay in Riga, so we reached an agreement quickly. We are happy to strengthen our roster with a high-level player who can operate on several positions and make a significant contribution off the ball," Buls emphasized. ### Last season's statistics The forward spent the previous season with Croatian side Zadar. In 21 domestic league games, the Ukrainian averaged 16.4 minutes on the court, scoring 6.3 points and grabbing 3.0 rebounds per game. These figures confirm his status as a versatile player capable of being useful both in offense and in defense. ### Context and prospects The move to Rīgas Zelti gives Tkachenko the chance to establish himself in a European club structure at the EuroCup level, where the competition and match quality are noticeably higher than in national championships. For the player himself, this is a step toward a more prominent stage, while for the club it is a way to cover the loss of a key guard without breaching the foreign player limits. ## 🔍 Fact-Check Verification - [Return to Latvia: Ukraine national team forward becomes a player of a EuroCup basketball participant](https://sport.rbc.ua/ukr/basketball/povernennya-latviyu-forvard-zbirnoyi-ukrayini-1788352687.html) - Первичный источник: сообщает об официальном переходе Ткаченко в «Ригас Зелли» со ссылкой на сайт ФБУ; содержит причины трансфера, заявление менеджера Эдгара Булса и статистику за сезон в «Задаре». - [About the Sivulvs - Rīgas Zelti match](https://www.sports.ru/basketball/match/1982359/) - Страница матча; используется только как контекст участия клуба в лиге. Сам по себе не подтверждает детали трансфера Ткаченко. ## ❓ FAQ ### Q: Who is Ivan Tkachenko and where has he moved? **A:** He is a 28-year-old forward for the Ukraine national team who has officially become a player of the Latvian club Rīgas Zelti, competing at the EuroCup level. ### Q: Why did Rīgas Zelti sign Tkachenko specifically? **A:** The transfer was forced by a serious injury to guard Toms Skuja. The club needed a player familiar with Riga (two seasons with Prometey), a two-time winner of the Latvian-Estonian league, who does not count toward the foreign player quota. ### Q: Where did Tkachenko play last season and what were his stats? **A:** At Croatian side Zadar: in 21 league games he averaged 16.4 minutes, 6.3 points and 3.0 rebounds per game.