Okapi Aalst
Belgian basketball club with one Cup and two Supercups.
Okapi Aalst (also known as Partena Professional Okapi Aalst for sponsorship reasons) is a Belgian professional basketball team based in Aalst. The club plays in the BNXT League, the top division that merges Belgium’s and the Netherlands’ leagues, and hosts games at the Okapi Forum, which seats 2,800. A longtime fixture in Belgium’s first division, Okapi has won one Belgian Cup and two Supercups, and has regularly taken part in European competitions.
The club was founded on 15 November 1949 by a group of friends, most of whom attended the Aalsterse Atheneum school; Piet de Coninck van Noyen was among the founders. Odilon Ringoir became the first chairman in 1956. In 1957, the municipality allowed the team to play outdoors at the Hopmarkt, drawing larger crowds, while winter games were held inside a shoe factory in Terjoden. Okapi moved up to the fourth national league in the 1958–59 season. By 1969, the team signed its first foreign players to stay competitive.
The 1969–70 season saw Okapi win the national second division title without losing a single game in 44 matches. The club debuted in the First National League the following season, staying there for five years before being relegated. The drop was brief, as Okapi returned the next season. During this period, local derbies against Black Boys Aalst were played. The team was relegated again in 1980.
Okapi’s first major trophy came in the 2011–12 season, when it won the Belgian Basketball Cup by beating Antwerp Giants 96–89 in overtime. That victory earned a spot in the Belgian Supercup, which Okapi won the next season by defeating BC Oostende. The team repeated as Supercup champions in 2013, again beating Oostende. In the 2013–14 season, Okapi reached the Belgian League Finals for the first time but was swept by Oostende, which claimed its third straight title.
In June 2020, the club changed its name from Okapi Aalstar back to Okapi Aalst. Since the 2021–22 season, it has competed in the BNXT League.
Quick Facts
- Leagues
- BNXT League
- Founded
- 15 November 1949
- History
- BBC Aalst / 1949–2002 / Okapi Aalstar / 2002–2020 / Okapi Aalst / 2020–present
- Arena
- Okapi Forum
- Capacity
- 2,800
- Location
- Aalst, Belgium
- President
- Kristof De Saedeleer
- Ceo
- Bart De Moor
- Coach
- Olivier Foucart
- Captain
- Ivan Maraš
- Championships
- 1 Belgian Cup / 2 Belgian Supercups
- H Body
- 002FA7
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
Okapi was founded on 15 November 1949 by a group of friends in Aalst, almost all going to the school named Aalsterse Atheneum. Piet de Coninck van Noyen was one of the founders. In 1956, Odilon Ringoir became the first chairman of the club. In 1957, the municipality of Aalst allowed the team to play outside at the Hopmarkt, drawing more spectators. In winter, the team played inside a shoe factory in Terjoden. In the 1958–59 season, Okapi promoted to the fourth national league. In 1969, the first foreign players were signed to keep up with opposing teams.
In the 1969–70 season, Okapi won the national second division title by going unbeaten in all 44 games. The club made its maiden debut in the First National League in the 1970–71 season, staying for five years before relegation, then promoting back the next season. In 1980, the team relegated again. In the 2011–12 season, Okapi won its first trophy, the Belgian Basketball Cup, defeating Antwerp Giants 96–89 after overtime. This qualified them for the Belgian Supercup, which they won the next season against BC Oostende, and they repeated as Supercup winners in 2013.
In the 2013–14 season, Okapi reached the Finals of the Belgian League for the first time, but was swept by Oostende. In June 2020, the team changed its name from Okapi Aalstar back to Okapi Aalst. Since the 2021–22 season, Okapi plays in the BNXT League, merging the Belgian and Dutch national leagues.
Reader's Guide
Okapi Aalst holds a significant place in Belgian basketball as a long-standing club in the top division, with a history dating back to 1949. The club's first major success came in the 2011–12 season with a Belgian Cup victory, followed by two consecutive Supercup wins in 2012 and 2013. These achievements marked the club's emergence as a competitive force, culminating in a runner-up finish in the Belgian League in 2013–14. Okapi's participation in European competitions and its development of players who later played in top Euroleague and NBA teams, such as Chris Copeland and Matt Lojeski, underscore its role in nurturing talent. The club's move to the BNXT League in 2021–22 reflects the evolving landscape of European basketball. Despite not winning the league title, Okapi's consistent presence in the first division and its trophy wins contribute to its legacy as a respected institution in Belgian sports.
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