Chinese firm signs up as main sponsor of Alba Berlin

Chinese company ZhongDe Metal Group has agreed to become a main sponsor of German Basketball Bundesliga team Alba Berlin.

The deal will run for an initial three years, from the 2014-15 season until 2016-17.

Under the deal, ZhongDe Metal will become the team’s second main sponsor alongside title sponsor the Alba Group.

As a main sponsor, ZhongDe Metal will benefit from branding placement on the front of players’ jerseys.

Axel Schweitzer, a member of Alba Berlin’s supervisory board, said: “We are delighted to have, with the ZhongDe Metal Group, found a Chinese shirt sponsor – a novelty in German basketball. For us, we come full circle. In 2011 we completed a first training camp with our professional team in China. Since then we have closed numerous collaborations. With this partnership we will help the ZhongDe Metal Group to be known in Germany and to build cultural bridges between Chinese and German people.”