Riga TTT was a Latvian women's basketball club that existed from 1958 to 1991, demonstrating results worthy of the Guinness Book of Records during its existence.

It was originally founded as the basketball club "Daugava".

In total, Riga TTT won 21 sets of Soviet Union Championship gold medals, as well as winning the European Champions Cup 18 times (equivalent to the modern FIBA EuroLeague).

The club's roster featured many legendary players:

Skaidrīte Smildziņa-Budovska (1958-1972), Ingrīda Ūdre, Dzidra Uztupe-Karamiševa (1958-1963), Helēna Bitnere-Hehta (1958-1967), Silvija Ravdone-Krodere (1959-1969, 1973), Dzintra Grundmane (1962-1975), Tamāra Kārkliņa-Hendele (1964-1979), Uļjana Semjonova (1968-1987), Tamāra Kaļagina-Dauniene (1974-1976) ... as well as many other famous basketball players.

The team was led by legendary Latvian basketball coaches:

Oļģerts Altbergs (1959-1962), Raimonds Karnītis (1963-1987), Andris Purkalns (1987-1988), Juris Garkalns (1988-1991).

The founding day of TTT is considered November 5, 1958, when a sports hall was opened on the second floor of the Tram and Trolley Trust (from which the TTT abbreviation also originates) dye shop, where the club later trained.

In the fall of 1958, the Riga Tram and Trolley Trust (TTT), on the initiative of its long-time manager Aleksandrs Zālītis, took under its wing the women's basketball team "Daugava" coached by Oļģerts Altbergs, which had won third place in the Soviet Union Championship a few months earlier.

The first TTT roster included:

Latvian State Institute of Physical Culture lecturer Rozālija Zemvalde and student Dzintra Ķiepe, qualified sports specialists Ligita Altberga and Mirdza Jonāne, Latvian Agricultural Academy aspirant Vita Siliņa and student Iveta Kraukle, Riga Medical Institute student Helēna Bitnere-Hehta (already a European champion in the USSR national team!), Riga Medical Institute student Jolanta Kalniņa, Riga Medical Institute student Ingrīda Strupoviča, chemical engineer Guna Karlsone, Riga Radio Factory worker Sarmīte Martinova, TTT sewing workshop worker Ināra Pirtnieka-Apse, and Riga Industrial Polytechnic student Skaidrīte Smildziņa.

A few months later, three-time European champion Dzidra Karamiševa returned to the team, who during her first training session was still babysitting her little son.

In the spring of 1959, the TTT team won first place in the tournament of the best club teams of the Soviet Union, in 1960 it became the USSR champion for the first time and won the European countries' champions cup for the first time, defeating Sofia's "Slavia" in two final games (62:28 and 49:43). These victories initiated the first generation TTT's decade-long success series, which was interrupted only by one failure in the European Cup in 1963, when the Riga players stopped in the semi-final.

The team's founder and first coach Oļģerts Altbergs knew how to unite 12 players with different characters into a monolithic team and utilize each one's strengths. His masterpiece was combining the power of two high-class centers — Skaidrīte Smildziņa-Budovska and Silvija Ravdone-Krodere — into an unbeatable tandem that dominated under the baskets, forging victories for both the TTT team and the USSR national team.

The team's "brain center" was formed by the defensive line duo Dzidra Uztupe-Karamiševa and Helēna Bitnere-Hehta, but every basketball player contributed to the team's successes.

In the 1963 season, Altbergs was replaced as coach by Raimonds Karnītis, who had just ended his playing career as captain of the VEF team. He was not such a subtle psychologist, so tears began to flow more often in the players' locker room. However, Karnītis was an unrivaled basketball tactics guru who valued action efficiency the highest and knew how to achieve it from his protégés. In turn, conflict situations in the head coach's relationships with the players were smoothed out by his long-time assistant Dzidra Karamiševa.

In the mid-1960s, TTT was not an entirely unbeatable team. One loss each was suffered both in European Cup matches against teams from Sofia, Krakow, and Prague, and in USSR Championship games against the closest competitors, which changed year by year — Leningrad's "Burevestņik", Tbilisi GPI, Moscow's "Dinamo", Moscow region's "Spartak", Vilnius "Kibirkštis". However, in the decisive games, the Riga players always won, because no opposing team had such a good center duo, such a balanced roster in all positions, such a perfect tactical game plan, such iron discipline in its implementation, and such unbreakable fighters.

The stability of TTT's successes was made even more admirable by the regular changes in the team. In the 1960s, sports in Latvia gradually professionalized. Training intensity increased and the number of players grew. However, this process hardly affected the athletes' status and material remuneration. Significant scholarships were received only by USSR national team members, of which there were not many in the TTT team. For others, the pay was symbolic, not even reaching the modest average wage level. Parallel to sports, the players studied or worked. In such a regime, few basketball players in the master team played until the age of 30.

The gaps in the roster were filled by reserves prepared by Latvian youth coaches — Augusts Raubens, Viktors Strupovičs, Andris Purkalns, etc.

In the mid-1960s, TTT was joined by graduates of the Riga Children's Sports School:

Dzintra Grundmane, Maiga Traukmane-Graudiņa, Ieva Augle, Tamāra Kārkliņa-Hendele, Zanda Grāve, Ingrīda Bergvalde-Ose, Māra Žvīgule-Bogdanoviča; in the summer of 1968, the next wave of talents flowed into TTT —

sisters Maija and Maiga Salenieces, Silvija Skulme, Inta Pliuna-Pāne, Lilita Svarinska-Bergvalde.

And, of course, the legendary Uļjana Semjonova.

Already at 13 years old, having grown to 192 cm, Uļa from Medumi was almost brought to Riga against her own will, where Augusts Raubens taught her the basics of basketball. Two years later, Semjonova became the European junior champion in the USSR national team, three years later with TTT she became the USSR champion and European Cup winner, and in the USSR adult national team she won the first of ten European champion medals. Her tall height provided serious advantages, but technique polished in grueling training and good basketball understanding helped to use them. Throughout her career, her average points per game fluctuated between 20 and 30. Moreover, Semjonova's presence insured her partners and instilled justified panic in opponents, as it was clear before each shot that in case of a miss, the rebound would end up in her hands.

Uļa's involvement made the TTT team practically invulnerable. In the 1968 season, TTT won all 30 official games for the first time (22 in the USSR Championship and 8 in the European Cup). In USSR conditions, this was a big challenge. Let's recall how Moscow sports officials began mobbing and pressuring the ambitious hockey coach Viktor Tikhonov's Riga "Dinamo" team, which with its victories over the capital's star teams psychologically traumatized them.

The absolute record was repeated in the 1972 and 1973 seasons. To stop TTT, opponents' coaches organized special councils, pooling all minds to develop the most correct tactics to fight Semjonova. Multi-level plans were forged — one team had to try to maximally tire out the Riga players' main players so that the next team the following day would have greater chances. The referees contributed their "part" to this fight, caring for their careers and burdening Semjonova and other TTT leaders with personal fouls, as well as pretending not to see opponents' violations. Everything was in vain — competitors' intentions collapsed, crashing against Raimonds Karnītis's developed tactical puzzles and the "golden girls'" ability to implement them on the court both in iron defense and targeted attacks.

The Riga team was briefly slowed down only by Semjonova's illness, due to which the center missed the first half of the 1974 season and in the remaining games did not catch up with the new champion Leningrad "Spartak". On the other hand, in the 1978 season, over the long 37-game distance of the USSR Championship, the Riga players suffered seven losses, finished shoulder to shoulder with Moscow region's "Spartak", and lost the playoff 60:68. The most important games TTT played only with the strength of six or seven experienced leaders — too few to cover the long season distance in a steady winners' pace. But that was only a short retreat before another series of victories.

From 1966 to 1983, the Riga team won 115 games in a row in the European Cup (!!!) and the success series would certainly have been even longer if the USSR sports leadership had not forbidden playing in the European Cup for several years (1976, 1978, 1979, 1980), justifying it with the need to save leaders' strength in preparation for the Olympic Games.

Alongside Semjonova at the peak of her career, the team's strength was formed by TTT's third and fourth generation players —

Ilze Šulca-Brumermane, Lorita Vasiļjeva-Sauša, Līga Grīnberga-Lisnere, Vita Dūdiņa-Elksne, Inita Rītiņa-Kresa, Marianna Feodorova, Ilga Briede-Priedoliņa, Anete Muižniece-Brice.

In the 1980 season, TTT won all 27 games again in the USSR masters competitions. After the Moscow Olympics, Soviet teams were again allowed to participate in European club tournaments, and TTT won the European Cup both in 1981 and 1982.

However, it was precisely on the international arena that TTT received the first warning about the team's playing style lagging behind basketball fashion trends. In the spring of 1983, in the European Cup semi-final matches against the West German champions Dusseldorf "Agon 08", the Riga players unexpectedly lost the sum of two games — 75:73 and 49:52. The Americans playing in the German club managed to limit even Semjonova, and the European Cup went to another home that year. For a moment, it seemed like just an unpleasant incident, and in the 1985 season, TTT won eight games in a row in European arenas. But in the ninth — the final — it stumbled again. This time against the Italian champions "Fiorella" (55:63).

In the mid-1980s, TTT gradually retreated from the highest peak also in the Soviet Union. Competitors were helped by a revolution in the rules — the appearance of three-pointers raised the value of snipers, liberal interpretations unleashed hands for sharp defense. More and more often, opponents rushed into fast breaks, trying to successfully complete them before Semjonova could take her place in the defense center.

The last major success, maximally utilizing Uļa's potential, was achieved in 1987, when TTT defeated Milan's "Deborah" team 87:80 in the Ronchetti European Cup final game. Uļjana Semjonova scored 42 points in this game. Others played: Vita Elksne (15), Ludmila Jermolajeva (11), Dace Krūmiņa (8), Marita Strazdiņa (5), Anita Plotka (4), and Anete Muižniece (2). From the bench, partners were supported by Sandra Balode, Jolanta Roze, and Zane Rozīte. The team was led by Andris Purkalns, who replaced the resigned Raimonds Karnītis due to health reasons as head coach.

When the long-time team leader and captain Uļjana Semjonova said goodbye to the team after 20 played seasons, in the 1988 season TTT left the USSR Championship's top league for two years. Accompanying the roster renewal was a more modern playing style, and in 1990, under head coach Juris Garkalns, TTT convincingly won the first league tournament, regaining its place in the top league.

However, against the backdrop of major political changes, TTT's renaissance remained somewhat undervalued and unexperienced, as the USSR Championship collapsed along with the entire superpower. Diāna Unbedahte, Svetlana Zitāne, Sanita Pētersone, Diāna Skrastiņa, Dace Krūmiņa, Anda Jēkabsone, Zanda Redāla, Anita Eglīte — two years later, they formed the core of the restored Latvian national team, withstanding the first tests at European Championships under the independent Latvian flag.

The changes affected not only the team's roster and competitions but also the team's status.

In the spring of 1990, the team left the wing of the trade union sports society Daugava, and in 1991, the TTT basketball club was founded. Independence brought not only freedom but also new responsibilities. The collapse of the traditional competition system and the search for alternatives, the legalization of professional sports relations, and the disappearance of guaranteed state funding — the new generation of coaches, officials, and athletes faced new challenges and trials. Also sharper competition, as Latvia no longer had those centralized power levers that for thirty years had ensured equality between TTT and the Latvian (SSR) national team.

The TTT brand was preserved, but in the 1990s, for several seasons, TTT was not the best team in Latvia. Returning to the leading position was helped by closer cooperation with the Riga City Council, which began in the summer of 2000. TTT regained the national champions title, and the 2002 season was the first when an independent Latvian women's basketball team participated in the European Cup.

As already mentioned, in 1991, the women's Basketball Club "TTT Rīga" was founded, whose predecessor is considered "Riga TTT", which existed from 1958 to 1991. In total, the newly founded club has won the Latvian Women's Basketball League 18 times.

Golden girls: TTT players – European Cup winners and USSR champions

Uļjana Semjonova, Maija Saleniece-Šiliņa, Tamāra Kārkliņa-Hendele, Dzintra Grundmane, Skaidrīte Smildziņa-Budovska, Inta Pliuna-Pāne, Marianna Feodorova, Silvija Ravdone-Krodere, Vita Dūdiņa-Elksne, Ingrīda Bergvalde-Ose, Marita Bikse, Līga Grīnberga-Lisnere, Lorita Vasiļjeva-Sauša, Ingrīda Strupoviča-Blūma, Māra Žvīgule-Bogdanoviča, Maiga Saleniece-Skapāne-Garkalne, Lilita Svarinska-Bergvalde, Ilze Šulca-Brumermane, Anete Muižniece-Brice, Helēna Bitnere-Hehta, Sarmīte Martinova-Volbete, Ārija Rimbeniece, Silvija Skulme, Ilga Briede-Priedoliņa, Anita Plotka-Gailuma, Zane Krancmane-Rozīte, Ināra Pirtnieka-Apse, Maiga Traukmane-Graudiņa, Ilona Medne-Kalniņa, Daina Grīnberga-Magazniece, Ligita Altberga-Andersone, Jolanta Kalniņa-Altberga, Zanda Grāve, Ludmila Jermolajeva, Dzidra Uztupe-Karamiševa, Iveta Kraukle-Čikute, Tekla Buceniece, Gunta Kauķe, Laimdota Šurkusa, Lija Judasa, Inita Rītiņa-Kresa, Dace Zeltiņa-Reča, Marita Strazdiņa, Dace Krūmiņa, Sandra Balode, Guna Ieviņa-Karlsone, Mārīte Jansone-Smalkā, Tatjana Lupova, Maija Floretaka-Konstantinova, Ilona Sāmeite, Jolanta Roze, Ingrīda Liekna-Kubliņa, Ieva Augle-Naudžuna, Mudīte Gūtmane-Zandere, Vita Karpova-Siliņa-Lūka, Dace Fricsone-Ansone, Edīte Tuča, Velta Staņēviča, Tamāra Kaļagina-Dauniene, Ingrīda Zauere-Tuklere-Ūdre, Dite Liepa, Rozālija Zemvalde, Dzintra Ķiepe-Baka, Mirdza Jonāne (1958-1959), Astra Straume, Ruta Stepanova, Zigrīda Reiziņa-Grēvele, Sandra Jostiņa.

Players listed by number of seasons played.

TTT women's basketball team founders: Aleksandrs Zālītis†, Dr. paed. Oļģerts Altbergs†

TTT senior coaches: Dr. paed. Oļģerts Altbergs†, Raimonds Karnītis†, Andris Purkalns

TTT assistant coaches: Dzidra (Uztupe) Karamiševa, Andris Purkalns, Juris Garkalns

TTT chairmen: Aleksandrs Zālītis†, Egons Slēde†, Uldis Meija†, Leonīds Ivanovs

TTT doctors: Dr. med. Māris Budovskis, Dr. Solveiga (Brīvkalne) Vandiša (TTT 1970-1978 and 1985-1987), Dr. Solveiga Lukstiņa (TTT 1978-1982), Dr. Vita Blaua (TTT)

TTT – The most outstanding women's basketball team of the 20th century (Anno 5.11.1958)

In memoriam † In eternal memory… “and You couldn't come again tonight, as agreed…”

Aleksis Ailis† (14.01.1917 – 24.04.1983), Laimonis Adamovičs†, Jolanta (Kalniņa) Altberga† (23.08.1938 – 1.08.1987), Oļģerts Altbergs† (6.05.1921 – 17.12.1998), Ligita (Altberga) Andersone† (14.08.1934 – 7.12.1983), Gunārs Baldzēns† (1926-?), Gunārs Čakste†, Igors Dudickis† (25.04.1931 – ??.03.2012), Ansis Epners† (26.10.1937 – 2.04.2003), Maigonis Geistards† (10.05.1925 – 2.06.2005), Ādolfs Grasis† (11.01.1905 – 3.03.1976), Jānis Grīnbergs†, Sandra Jostiņa† (09.1955 – 19.02.1973), Lija Judasa† (20.09.1959 – 9.10.1993), Dzidra Karamiševa† (2.05.1930 – 26.12.2014), Guna (Ieviņa) Karlsone† (28.11.1935 – 14.06.2008), Raimonds Karnītis† (26.12.1929 – 10.10.1999), Ēriks Kehris† (18.10.1930 – 3.11.1993), Leopolds Kovals†, Alfrēds Krauklis† (8.12.1911 – 20.11.1991), Alfrēds Lejnieks† (19?? -1994), Vilis Lietavietis†, Kalērija Lukaševica†, Arnolds Mauriņš†, Voldemārs Mežaks†, Jānis Ostrouhs† (12.06.1928 – 26.04.1990), Jānis Ozols†, Inta Pāne† (11.06.1949 – 7.05.2012), Laimonis Pāvuls†, Aina Pētersone†, Arvīds Pētersons†, Artūrs Punenovs†, Miervaldis Ramāns† (27.02.1925 – 16.10.1996), Aivars Rasa†, Augusts Ansis Raubēns† (10.03.1910 – 30.06.1979), Egons Slēde† (1929 – ??.09.2001), Ruta Stepanova† (1937 – 2008), Gunārs Straume†, Viktors Strupovičs† (2.11.1933 – 2.02.2002), Igors Vanadziņš† ( – 7.01.2013), Georgs Vasiļjevs† (04.1949 - ), Ernests Aleksandrs Zālītis† (17.01.1923 – 24.02.2003), Rozālija (Lapinska) Zemvalde† (23.12.1924 – 08.1996)

Source: https://tttdk.wordpress.com/pieminai/in-memoriam/

The basketball team TTT Riga (now known as TTT Riga) is included in the Guinness Book of Records as the world's best women's basketball team of the 20th century, thanks to 12 consecutive wins in the USSR Championship (gold medals) and 18 wins in the European Champions Cup – this is a universally recognized and undisputed record that has not been surpassed to this day.

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