The Alpe Adria Cup welcomes another Czech newcomer in this competition, BC Geosan Kolín will try the international confrontation for the first time.

The history of basketball in Kolín dates back to 1935, when it began to be played in the city at the real gymnasium and since 1940 in the Sokol Kolín. During the existence of the Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia, the club changed its name to AFK Kolín. In addition to AFK, there was also a basketball club Sparta Kolín. In the 1943-1944 season, the basketball players of AFK Kolín played in the highest league competition and finished in 5th place. After the end of the war, Sokol Kolín continued to play in the same competition, finishing seventh out of ten participants in the 1945 – 1946 league season. The current successful era of Kolín basketball dates back to the mid-1990s.

In the late 1990s, a consolidated men’s team was put together, which rocketed to 3rd place and advanced to the 2nd basketball league. In the following years the men’s team was able to place at the top of the 2nd league competition and so quite logically the time came where the team was strengthened with the aim of winning the 2nd league and thus advancing to the highest basketball competition. This was achieved in the 2006-2007 season and since the following year the Kooperativa NBL has been played in Kolín. The biggest achievement is the bronze from 2012 and 2021, along with participation in the Czech Cup finals.

Who to watch:

Jakub Petráš – Slovakian national player and holder of the award for the player with the best improvement in the 2021/2022 season in Czech League. The center of Kolín was one of the key figures in the lineup, maintaining a great double-double average at the end of the season. Coach Adam Konvalinka will expect similar numbers from him.

Džiugas Slavinskas – Kolin’s summer signing comes after an excellent season in nearby Slovakia. The former Lithuanian youth international shone in an Inter Bratislava jersey, finishing the year as the top scorer in the Niké SBL with an average of 20 points per game. Thanks to his arrival, the Bears’ offensive power has been strengthened even more.

Adam Číž – already basically a legend of Kolín basketball, entering his 7th season in a GEOSAN jersey. The 31-year-old versatile player maintains great game averages – 18 points, 7 assists and 4 rebounds per game.

A word from coach – Adam Konvalinka:

„This is the first time for the club to participate in an international competition. That is why we want to take full advantage of it. Comparison with foreign teams is a very valuable experience in terms of sports, for the club a great opportunity for further growth. Our opponents in the group are each from a different country, so we will meet different styles. At the same time, we are not expecting anything easy. There will certainly be quality opponents to travel too. Anyway, it is great for the club that we can present ourselves in other places than the Czech Republic.We would like to fill Geosan Arena. It will be much easier if we manage to advance from the group to the next stage.“

Where to find information about BC GEOSAN Kolín:

Official club website: http://www.bckolin.cz/

Official Facebook account: https://www.facebook.com/basketballkolin

Official Instagram account: https://www.instagram.com/bc_geosan_kolin/

Schedule of BC Geosan Kolín in Group C:

12th of October: BC Geosan Kolín – Kapfenberg Bulls

19th of October: KK DepoLink Škrljevo – BC Geosan Kolín

26th of October: BC Geosan Kolín – BC Komárno

23th of November: Kapfenberg Bulls – BC Geosan Kolín

30th of November: BC Geosan Kolín – KK DepoLink Škrljevo

14th of December: BC Komárno – BC Geosan Kolín