He joins Thunder in a non-executive director role, where the organisation say he will bring to their board considerable experience in basketball, marketing the game, and top-level administration.

He owned EBL Division 1-winning Richmond Jaguars until 1998, and then the Worthing/Brighton Bears in the BBL until 2003, where he was also a director of the British Basketball League.

Thunder chairman Frank Gainsbury commented on the appointment: "Obviously, it is a major boost to the club to have someone of Romek's calibre and experience on board. Although many of the board have been involved in basketball for a long time, none of us have actually had experience of running a club at the highest level, as he has done.

"Romek has been assisting the club in the background for a while now and helped us put our BBL application together as well as building our marketing strategies with us. We look forward to working closely with him."

A figure familiar in local club basketball and other sport, Kriwald lives in Chichester with his family and player-coaches Chichester Celtics in the Sussex Basketball League.

Away from basketball, Romek is a successful businessman, running his own animal welfare business. His hobbies include supporting Chelsea Football Club, having been to his first game in 1967, playing squash, and judo. When not doing any of these, you'll probably find him playing bass in one of two local bands.

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