Our Team

With over thirty years of experience in the sports industry, Boris Lelchitski has established himself as one of the top sports agents in the world. In 1996, Boris founded Sports International Group, and has since managed the careers of numerous high-profile professional basketball players and coaches.

Since then, Boris has developed SIG into one of the most respected and dynamic agencies in the professional basketball world. Specializing in women’s basketball, Boris client list now includes some of the top athletes in the sport. SIG represents over 30 players in the WNBA, including WNBA Champions, Most Valuable Players, All-Stars and Rookies of the Year. Internationally, SIG represents numerous high-profile clients who have won European Championships, Olympic Medals, World Championship Medals as well as Euroleague and Eurocup Club championships.

Boris has developed an incredible reputation in the professional basketball world through his dedication and high level of integrity, as well as the results he gets for his clients. No other agency can come close to the amount of success that SIG has had over the last 15 years. SIGs clients consistently receive top-dollar contracts and are provided with a personal service that is unmatched in the industry. This combination is why SIGs clients are the happiest and most successful in the business. Boris has negotiated record-setting contracts for women’s basketball players and SIG’s women’s basketball clients consistently earn a combined average of over $15 million per season. These proven results are what separate Boris from the competition and place him in an elite category.

Prior to founding SIG, Boris spent the majority of his career coaching in Russia and the United States. While in Russia, he was the head coach of Spartak, St. Petersburg for eleven years. During that span, Spartak was a major competitor in the Euroleague. After coming to the United States, Boris spent three years as Head Women’s Basketball Coach at Heathwood Hall Academy, and five years coaching AAU Basketball in Columbia, South Carolina. During his coaching career, Boris won over 500 games and numerous conference and state championships on the amateur and pro levels.

Boris holds a Master’s Degree in Basketball Coaching from Lesgaft Academy of Physical Education in St. Petersburg, Russia and an associate’s degree in Sports Administration from the University of South Carolina.

Sports International Group, Inc., is very fortunate to have one of the best guards to have ever played the game on board as a WNBA/FIBA certified agent. Growing up in the small, beautiful country of Portugal, Patricia “Ticha” Penicheiro was introduced to basketball by her father and brother when she was just five years old. Immediately hooked on the sport, Ticha spent countless hours on the playground courts proving girls can play sports too. All the teasing and blocking she received as a female playing with her older and stronger male counterparts groomed her for what was to come, which was more than she could have ever imagined.

Before long, Ticha had developed the “American Dream” and decided she wanted to come to the United States and attend a university. After being offered a few full basketball scholarships, Ticha chose to attend Old Dominion University (ODU) in Norfolk, VA and in 1994 packed her bags and left her country, her family and her friends to follow her dream.

From 1994 through 1998, Ticha grew as a woman and a basketball player while helping to position ODU back to a place of national recognition as a Top 25 team for the majority of her college career. Seeing her dreams come true before her eyes, Ticha was considered one of the top players in the United States. By 1998, Ticha was a two-time Kodak All-American player and won the prestigious Wade Trophy Award. Inspired to work toward her next career milestone, Ticha followed along with the first season of the WNBA in 1997, ready to make her move.

Upon graduating ODU in 1998, she was quickly drafted as second pick overall and headed to Sacramento, CA to begin her career playing in the best women’s professional basketball league in the world. For the next 12 years, California became Ticha’s home and before the Sacramento Monarchs folded in 2009, they were able to bring a WNBA championship to the city in 2005. Ticha’s next career move was to former rivals, the Los Angeles Sparks where she played two seasons. Then in 2012, she joined the Chicago Sky for her 15th and last season in the WNBA.

Through it all, Ticha is most grateful for the amazing friends she made and has created lifetime memories. “Being European, I loved heading to Europe and continuing to get my passport stamped visiting so many different countries through basketball.”

Ticha had a stellar professional career. Looking back, Ticha has humbly exceeded her expectations in moving across the country from Portugal to America as a young woman. Under her belt are three different WNBA teams, four-time All Star, a first team All League a few times and was able to leave her mark as one of the best passers in the league. Following such a successful and adventurous career, Ticha has finally retired and decided to follow her heart and become a sports agent, “becoming a sports’ agent is something Ive always seen myself doing because it will keep me close to the game I love and I will be able to help players make a smoother transition to the professional basketball world”, Ticha said.

Overall, Ticha brings a depth of knowledge and experience that SIG clients will benefit from.