A teenager is heading to Germany after securing a three-year deal to play for professional club BC Bremerhaven.

Turner sixth-form pupil Kalel Davies, who recently completed his Level 3 BTEC Diploma in Sport, has represented the school in his time at the Academy.

The 18-year-old from Ashford progressed his skills as part of the school’s Folkestone Basketball Academy, run by Mark Hinton and The Sports Trust, where he played, coached and was also an ambassador.

Davies has been dedicated to the sport from a young age, having also played for Saints Basketball Folkestone since he was a junior.

Now, his commitment has been recognised by BC Bremerhaven.

“I’m very excited about the opportunity I have been offered,” he said.

“I’m very grateful for all that Folkestone Academy and my coaches, Mark Hinton and Stuart Hunt, have done in developing my skills over the short time I have been playing and their work in helping me get into the position where I am today.”

Basketball is one of the most popular sports in Germany and Davies’ three years there will allow him to progress his training in an elite environment.

Kieran Cahill, head of PE at Folkestone Academy, part of Turner Schools, said: “This is brilliant news and recognition of Kalel’s fantastic natural talent and his unwavering determination to succeed in basketball.

“Kalel is a superb ambassador for the sport and a great example of how important our sports Academies are in nurturing young talent.

“We’re all very proud of him and can’t wait to see how his sporting career progresses.”