Basket full of troubles.

Byline: Ashok Purohit

Just imagine the Oman (under-19) basketball team preparing for the GCC championship without any external camps, international warm-up matches and proper playing courts. As if these problems were not enough, one is left dumbfounded to find out that the national players do not have proper shoes and the team management is unable to fulfil even their proper dietary requirements. The teamEos pitiable state cannot be improved given the present financial health of the Oman Basketball Association (OBA), which had to cancel the participation of the national under-16 team in the forthcoming GCC championship in Qatar.

The regressive step will only wean away the young players in the sultanate despite the OBAEos vision for a stronger national team and a larger pool of players at under-16 and under-19 levels. The current situation is certainly not the best platform for Zoran Prelevic, national coach from Serbia, to perform his duties, but the warmth and support of the OBA and the players has forced him to stay on since taking over the reigns in 2008.

EAEIt has been a bitter-sweet experience. The OBA board of directorsEo faith in my abilities humbles me. We have been working as one big family and have a dream for Oman basketball. The hurdles notwithstanding, we will continue with our efforts to build a strong national team.Eo

He added that the goal of building a competitive side has been hit by the absence of a regular parquet (wooden flooring) courts at the Sultan Qaboos Sports Complex (SQSC) and other sports complexes.

The only parquet court at the SQSC was removed after it got spoilt in Gonu in June 2007. The authorities then ordered a portable parquet court, which was used during the 19th GCC championship in Nizwa, but it is now kept in an air-conditioned storeroom in Muscat.

Ahmed Darwish, head of sports activities, SQSC, said that the portable court could not be used regularly as it would mean that only basketball is played in the hall. EAEWe do not have the privilege of having access to many halls and with handball, volleyball and other games also played indoors regularly, we cannot use a parquet for just basketball.Eo

The lack of parquet is a big disadvantage for players as they are prone to more injuries. It also expedites the wear and tear of their knees. The team is yet to recover from the fact that Mahmood al Sooli, one of the tallest players in the team, aggravated his knee injury recently. The under-19 team is still struggling to come to terms with the financial crisis with all their hopes of an overseas camp and matches against good teams put on hold. Sources confirmed that even their restaurant bills are being dealt with credit basis. To add to the misery, the team has been training at the SQSC without a pro-per electronic scoreboard, making it difficult for Prelevic.

Despite the problems, the 56-year-old coach, who has spent 15 years in the Gulf countries with stints in Qatar, the UAE, Bahrain and Kuwait, has been working hard to get the boys come up with their best.

He is happy with the recent development allowing the team to practise daily at the Royal Air Force of Oman indoor hall, which has a parquet. He thanked Lt Col Adeeb al Saadi for facilitating the arrangement. Though Prelevic has been saddened by the fact that the OBA has scrapped the under-16 team tour, he has called some of the talented under-16 boys to join the ongoing under-19 camp. EAEWe have some promising players and if they are nurtured carefully, they have the potential to bring home a GCC championship title in the next three to four yearsEo time.Eo

A former top-level player in Yugoslavia, Prelevic had attended camps for a place in the national team that featured in Olympics and the FIBA World Championship. Despite failing to make it to the team, the point guard had an opportunity to play in a few Balkan regional tournaments in the 70Eos when Yugoslavia was a force to reckon with, as it was the world champions in 1970 and 1978 and finished as runner-up in 1974. Prelevic felt that the five monthsEo intensive training for the under-19 boys will give them confidence to take on the regional rivals but added that the boys would be playing an international match on parquet for the first time on August 29 in the GCC under-19 championship opener against Kuwait in Manama. Mohammed al Qusaimi, assistant coach, was delighted to say that the national side boasts of three players with a height of two metres E... Mahmood al Sooli, Mohannad al Amrani and Hamad al Sakri.

EAEThese players have been groomed by Prelevic after we conducted a national-level hunt to track down tall youngsters. We have young players and if there is a development system in place, we have a bright future,Eo he said.

EAEWe even had plans to send a couple of youngsters on scholarships to the US with opportunities at middle level college competitions. They would have returned with vast experience for the benefit of the entire team. Alas, the dearth of funds has put paid to our hopes.Eo

Mohammed said the team for the Bahrain tournament would be announced next week, as the coach wanted the 17 players to fight out for 12 berths. Prelevic thanked Habib Abdulnabi Macki, OBA chief, Fareed al Zadjali, OBA vice-chairman, and the technical and coaching department comprising Kazim al Balushi, Mohammed al Qusaimi, Nadir al Bahrani and Ghassan al Busaidi for their wholehearted support and encouragement.

The coach said during his long years of coaching in the Gulf, Oman turned out to be the only place where he has been welcomed with open arms and local coaches are keen on learning. EAEElsewhere in the region, you would not believe, they were only trying to see my back.Eo

Apex Press and Publishing

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