Elevator collapse with five Gence players before FIBA European Cup game
An elevator fell with five visiting Gence players the night before their FIBA European Cup match; coach Martin Knežević faulted the organisers.
A near-tragedy overshadowed a FIBA European Cup game between Gence of Azerbaijan and Turkish side Elenser Eroskor after an elevator in the hotel where the visitors stayed collapsed with five of the Azerbaijani players inside.
The players were injured but, fortunately, not seriously, and the home team later won the match by a large margin. The incident occurred the night before the contest and left the visiting camp shaken.
Coach criticises organisers
Martin Knežević, the visiting coach, an American of Montenegrin origin, sharply criticised the organisation around the trip and the competition after the game.
"The final result does not surprise me, given that five of my players were injured when the elevator in the hotel collapsed the previous night. Yes, precisely in that very cheap hotel where Erokspor put us," Knežević said.
He added: "My boys fell from a height of three floors and can be considered lucky that they did not suffer injuries that would change their lives. And despite everything, at the start of the third quarter we were trailing by only ten points."
Organisers and competition authorities have not released an immediate statement. The visiting club has reported the injuries and criticised the hotel placement; the competition continued and the match result stood.
Photo: press material from the event
