The Sunday Mail
SERIE A basketball outfit Grissin Bon Reggio Emilia have swooped on highly rated Zimbabwean centre Vitalis Chikoko, we can exclusively reveal.
After long-drawn negotiations Chikoko last week agreed to join Grissin for the remainder of the season with the option of renewing the contract for the 2015/16 season.
Since joining German side TBB Trier in 2011, Chikoko’s stock has been on the rise with the 24-year-old making to the NBA draft back 2013 and attracting interest from teams in countries such as Angola, USA, Germany and Spain.
Grissin believe the signing of Chikoko will aid their push for honours with the club’s sports director Biancorosso Alessandro Frosini’s describing the former Mbare Bulls player as a great talent.
“Grissin Bon Reggio Emilia officially announces the addition of big man Vitalis Chikoko. The Zimbabwean player comes from TBB Trier, who let him go for free due to the financial issues in which the club is involved.
“With Chikoko on our roster, we have an athlete with different attributes compared to the ones we already have,” Frosini told his club’s official website.
“He is an athlete who can occupy both positions of power forward and centre. He has very long arms that allow him to be a good defender and shot blocker.
“In attack he has a decent game inside and in recent years he has honed his shooting. We have focused on him in anticipation of the next season, although we are confident that he can make a great contribution in this season’s finale.”
Chikoko is excited and believes the move to the Italian side will have a positive impact on his career.
“I’m really excited at the opportunity to play in Reggio Emilia, this is a great opportunity and step I could not let pass.
“They are stimulated by being able to work with a group that is fighting for the top positions in the Italian league, so I can only assure you I will give it my all,” said Chikoko.
The Zimbabwean ace has since completed all the required paperwork and work visa, his agent revealed.
“As things stand Chikoko is now officially a Grissin player, after both parties agreed on the terms and signed.
“He joined the team and took part in his first training session,” said Peter Mubanda. Meanwhile, Chikoko’s move could rule him out of Zimbabwe’s squad to the AfroBasket Championships slated for Tunisia later this year.
Chikoko is among the foreign-based players that national team coach Ellery Pinkerton was hoping to call up.
The others are Robert Mugabe Jnr and United States-based Julian Mavunga
“While Vitalis has always availed himself for internationals, it all depends on summer league trials. If he makes a team he will be in Las Vegas at the time as he tries to secure a more permanent contract and won’t be available for national duty.
“We’re also waiting to hear his new club’s stance towards internationals,” revealed Mubanda.
