Brose safeguards future of professional basketball at Bamberg
Bamberg (31.07.2006). On 30 September, the Bamberg German premier league basketball team will begin the new season as the “Brose Baskets”. A contract for the next two seasons naming the automotive supplier the team’s main sponsor was signed last week in Bamberg by Wolfgang Heyder, managing director of the Baskets GmbH Bamberg and Michael Stoschek, Chairman of the Brose Group. “This means the future of top-class basketball for the region of Bamberg is ensured,“ said Heyder at the press conference in Bamberg on 31 July when the new sponsor was presented.
“We are extremely grateful to the Brose Group shareholders headed by chairman Michael Stoschek for agreeing to support professional basketball in the region after hearing that the two main sponsors had dropped out,“ said Heyder during the press conference.
Back in the spring of 2006, the situation was dire for GHP Bamberg after the two main sponsors Nici and GHP had dropped out at short notice. Without a new main sponsor, the Bamberg team would not have been able to sign any new top players to keep the standard of play up to the accustomed high level. Subsequently, this would have severely jeopardized the team’s hard-fought top position in the German Championship and in international professional basketball.
Spontaneous help from a family-owned company
This threat was something Michael Stoschek did not want to accept – given the great enthusiasm in the Bamberg region for this team and its success: “I am very happy that the shareholders and the supervisory board of our family-owned company accepted my proposal to increase the support we already give the team spontaneously and without any further ado. This means the necessary financial backing is secured which will make it possible for basketball to be played at an international level in “Freak City” in the near future.”
“Brose and Bamberg basketball both stand for top performance at an international level,“ said Stoschek. “The very fact that the team does not just play at a regional level explains why the new logo does not indicate any specific place. But everyone knows that Bamberg is the hometown for the sporting showpiece of this region.” The Brose Group is committed as a sponsor and patron of social, education-related, cultural and sport activities at its company locations worldwide.
Dirk Bauermann presents team with clout
Three top players will reinforce the Brose Baskets side: Darren Fenn, one of the most sought-after big men in the league, NBA-experienced Vincent Yarbrough and K’Zell Wesson were signed on by managing director Wolfgang Heyer.
Center talent Tim Ohlbrecht and Sajmen Hauer, two strong youngsters who have already proved their prowess in the under 18 European Championship, will also be moving up into Bamberg’s premier league team. Over the next few weeks, the search will be continued for a suitable combo-guard to complete the line-up of this success-oriented team the “Brose Baskets“.
Two partners, one goal: Brose, Bamberg, Championship!
Head coach Dirk Bauermann’s target for the upcoming season for the newly formed team is the Championship title. “I am convinced that the guys have got the ability to become firmly established in the upper echelons of international professional basketball. Working in collaboration with Brose, we will continue to write our success story!“
Over the last five years, Bamberg’s basketball players were able to steadily raise their performance: in the 2002/2003 season, GHP Bamberg once again returned to the European basketball stage, taking part in the Uleb Cup and reaching the playoffs. In 2003 and 2004, Bauermann’s team were runners-up to the German Championship title. 2005 saw the team actually go on to win the the BBL’s long-coveted championship (German basketball league) and in doing so, it qualified for the Euroleague. In 2006, it was the first German team to make the leap to the top 16. It was also a BBL cup finalist and a playoff semi-finalist.
Press contact:
Gabi Rujoub
Telefon: +49 9561 21 1653
Telefax: +49 9561 21 1704
E-mail: gabi.rujoub@brose.net
