VARESE BASKETBALL WELCOMES BACK SIIM-SANDER VENE
lug 01, 2019
Openjobmetis Varese Basketball is pleased to announce the signing of Siim-Sander Vene, who comes back to wear the Red & White jersey one year since his first experience at the foothills of Sacro Monte, which culminated in reaching the play-offs after five years of absence. Wing, and class of '90, with great basketball acumen, Vene has signed a one-year contract. His CV boasts a Euroleague Basketball Next Generation Tournament (2007), an NKL title (2008, second Lithuanian league), a Baltic League (2010) and a Latvian championship (2012).
«I am happy to get back and play for Varese Basketball, just as I am happy to have come to an agreement in such a short time -comments Siim-Sander Vene-. Now I've got the time to get ready for the long season ahead. I know what to expect here in at Varese and the company is working well to build a competitive team and I hope we can play good basketball. We did it last time I was here and I am sure that we will do it again and work together with the goal of doing even better».
In contact with basketball from a very early age under the tutelage of his mother Lea (also an internationally recognised player), Vene grew up under the technical guidance of his father Priit, his coach at TTÜ (Tallinn University of Technology), he, too, a professional basketball player. His talent immediately attracted the interest of the big names in Europe and, at the age of 15, he decided to move to Zalgiris in the renowned Arvydas Sabonis School. During his ten-year stay in Lithuania, he was mostly loaned out to fill out his experience: Ludwigsburg (Germany), Atletas Kaunas and Prienai (Lithuania) and Riga (Latvia). In July 2013, he returned to the Zalgiris roster with whom he won three consecutive Lithuanian titles (4 points, 2.8 rebounds in 3 seasons) and played in the Euroleague up to the Top 16 (3.1 points and 1.6 average rebounds in 45 games). In the 2016-2017, season he wore a Nizhny Novgorod jersey, the Russian team with whom he amassed 10.4 points, 2.7 rebounds, 2 assists in the league and 10.6 points, 3.9 rebounds and 1.9 assists in the Eurocup. In the following year, he arrived on the shores of Italy, at Grissin Bon Reggio Emilia, a team with whom he could not even begin because of an injury that kept him in the pits for the entire first stage of the championship. He completely re-established himself, signed up with coach Caja and Openjobmetis Varese, and was the outright star of the Red & White cavalcade which, because of the 12 victories in the second half of the season, allowed them to qualify for the post-season. After a two-month stay at Baxi Manresa, and an even shorter one with Montakit Fuenlabrada, Vene (December 2018) relocated to Gran Canaria where he managed to put his talent on display in the Euroleague.
Internationally, he wore his National team's jersey in the U18 line-up (12.1 points and 5 rebounds during the 2007 Under-18s FIBA Championship) and is still a member of the national team with whom he played in Eurobasket 2015, collecting 10 points, 6.4 rebounds and 1.6 assists. He was also awarded Estonian Player of the Year 2017, a recognition for which former Red & White Kangur holds the record with 8 consecutive titles.
«I am happy to get back and play for Varese Basketball, just as I am happy to have come to an agreement in such a short time -comments Siim-Sander Vene-. Now I've got the time to get ready for the long season ahead. I know what to expect here in at Varese and the company is working well to build a competitive team and I hope we can play good basketball. We did it last time I was here and I am sure that we will do it again and work together with the goal of doing even better».
In contact with basketball from a very early age under the tutelage of his mother Lea (also an internationally recognised player), Vene grew up under the technical guidance of his father Priit, his coach at TTÜ (Tallinn University of Technology), he, too, a professional basketball player. His talent immediately attracted the interest of the big names in Europe and, at the age of 15, he decided to move to Zalgiris in the renowned Arvydas Sabonis School. During his ten-year stay in Lithuania, he was mostly loaned out to fill out his experience: Ludwigsburg (Germany), Atletas Kaunas and Prienai (Lithuania) and Riga (Latvia). In July 2013, he returned to the Zalgiris roster with whom he won three consecutive Lithuanian titles (4 points, 2.8 rebounds in 3 seasons) and played in the Euroleague up to the Top 16 (3.1 points and 1.6 average rebounds in 45 games). In the 2016-2017, season he wore a Nizhny Novgorod jersey, the Russian team with whom he amassed 10.4 points, 2.7 rebounds, 2 assists in the league and 10.6 points, 3.9 rebounds and 1.9 assists in the Eurocup. In the following year, he arrived on the shores of Italy, at Grissin Bon Reggio Emilia, a team with whom he could not even begin because of an injury that kept him in the pits for the entire first stage of the championship. He completely re-established himself, signed up with coach Caja and Openjobmetis Varese, and was the outright star of the Red & White cavalcade which, because of the 12 victories in the second half of the season, allowed them to qualify for the post-season. After a two-month stay at Baxi Manresa, and an even shorter one with Montakit Fuenlabrada, Vene (December 2018) relocated to Gran Canaria where he managed to put his talent on display in the Euroleague.
Internationally, he wore his National team's jersey in the U18 line-up (12.1 points and 5 rebounds during the 2007 Under-18s FIBA Championship) and is still a member of the national team with whom he played in Eurobasket 2015, collecting 10 points, 6.4 rebounds and 1.6 assists. He was also awarded Estonian Player of the Year 2017, a recognition for which former Red & White Kangur holds the record with 8 consecutive titles.