Switzerland’s national basketball team will be competitive next year after the governing body of the sport in the country, Swiss Basketball, agreed a partnership with luxury watch brand Tissot.
The federation last month announced that its national teams would take a sabbatical year in 2016.
However, the deal with Tissot has provided financial backing for Swiss Basketball and ensured that Switzerland is able to compete in the qualification campaign for the 2017 EuroBasket national team tournament.
Giancarlo Sergi, Swiss Basketball president, said: “Their (Tissot’s) experience in the world of basketball will be of great benefit to our federation, which can now count on a prestigious partner for the first team.”
The deal marks the first time Tissot, a Swiss company and a major player in the basketball field, has invested in the sport in its home country. It is currently the official timekeeper of the International Basketball Federation (Fiba), the North American NBA league and the Chinese CBA League.