MOSCOW, November 2 (RIA Novosti) - The owner of the Russian women's basketball club Spartak - Moscow Region was gunned down on Monday in downtown Moscow, a senior investigation officer said.

"The murder victim has been identified. The deceased was Shabtai von Kalmanovich, the owner of the women's basketball club Spartak - Moscow Region," Anatoly Bagmet, the head of the Moscow investigation department of the prosecutor's office, said.

Bagmet said that the attack, which took place at about 4:50 p.m. Moscow time (1:50 GMT), was most likely a contract killing. He added that the fifty-nine-year old Russian-Israeli businessman had been shot at some 20 times and had died instantly.

Spartak - Moscow Region has been the Women's European League Champion for the last three years. Two weeks ago the club won the European Super Cup after beating Euro Cup Champions Galatasaray. The high wages on offer at the Russian club have attracted a number of U.S. basketball players.