In Brief
Four Greek basketball sides in European action Greek basketball teams return to European action from today, with the Euroleague and the Eurocup both entering their second group stage. Today sees the resumption of the Eurocup with Maroussi hosting Russia’s Khimki at the Olympic Sports stadium in Athens and Panellinios traveling to Moscow to face local side Dynamo. The two Greek sides are in the same pool. Then on Thursday for the Euroleague, Panathinaikos greets Partizan Belgrade in Athens and Olympiakos travels to Italy to visit Armani Jeans Milano. In both competitions pools have four teams each with the top two advancing to the next round. Lambros Choutos set to leave Panionios Panionios captain Lambros Choutos confirmed he is on his way out of the Nea Smyrni club, following an incident on Sunday before the match with AEK. The former Inter, Roma and Olympiakos striker left the hotel where the team were staying when he was not named in the starting lineup for the match, which Panionios lost 3-0. Yesterday Choutos stated that he is leaving Panionios, adding that «this is not something that I had wanted, but since the president decided so, I have to agree with it.» Asked about the next step in his career, he said: «I do not have anything in mind at the moment. I will wait for my contract to be cleared up and then I will see.» Baghdatis out Cypriot tennis player Marcos Baghdatis managed to reach the fourth round of the Australian Open in Melbourne but on Sunday he succumbed to the might of the world’s No 3 player, Novak Djokovic. The Serb defeated the Cypriot 3-1 (6-1, 7-6, 6-7, 6-2) to reach the quarterfinals of the Grand Slam tournament. Baghdatis was once again well supported by Greeks and Cypriots in the stands. Judo medal Greek judoka Ioulieta Boukouvala won the bronze medal in the latest event of the World Cup series, in Sofia, last weekend. She later admitted she was not happy with third place in the under-57 kilo category and promised to go for gold in the next World Cup event, on February 7-8 in Paris. Greece will then be boosted by the presence of Olympian Ilias Iliadis.
