Rockets agree partnership with Italian basketball club

City of Birmingham Rockets Basketball Club have announced a new international partnership agreement with Italian club Aquila Basket Trento and their Dolomiti Energia Academy.

The agreement opens opportunities for Rockets players and coaches with the Birmingham club 's Italian partners.

The agreement sees Rockets become the exclusive UK partner of Aquila Basket Trento and their Academy.

Rockets chief executive Robert Palmer said: “We are very excited to be entering this agreement with Aquila Academy.?

“This partnership creates significant possibilities within our performance programme pathway for our players and unique learning opportunities for our coaches.?

“During our talks it has been clear that our two organisations share personal values and integrity, which we believe will form the basis of a long and successful partnership.

“I would like to thank our mutual friend, Donte Mathis (US coach and former player), for this introduction, while Marco Crespi (Academy director) and Andrea Nardelli (general manager) provided us with wonderful hospitality during our recent visit to the club. ”

Marco Crespi, technical director of the Dolomiti Energia Basketball Academy, said: “Development is the goal of our Academy - developing through the sharing of ideas and the opportunity to connect with people who can be inspiring and motivating. We are delighted to have met Robert Palmer and his Birmingham Rockets.

“We are doubly pleased that they are the first club outside Italy to join the Academy and that Aquila can have a partner in the UK, a country where basketball is set to grow in the coming years. ”
The Rockets ' latest international partnership follows a successful link with Spanish club HLA Alicante and their work with the BasketJoy Erasmus+ Inclusion Project, which promotes inclusive initiatives across clubs from Sweden (Wetterbygden Basketball) and Bulgaria (Bulgarian Special Olympics Consortium).

Pictured: Robert Palmer (left) and Marco Crespi