Malallah optimistic of chances

UAE youngsters get their campaign underway.

The UAE's Mohammed Masoud. Sarah Dea/The National

DUABI // At 6.45pm tonight, the UAE’s youngsters will begin their Fiba U17 World Championship campaign with a match against Italy in Group C.

Little is maybe expected of the team in terms of results, but the players themselves are raring to go.

A loss on Wednesday night in a practice match with Puerto Rico completed their preparations, but Salem Malallah, one of the members of the UAE squad, is upbeat that their hard work will result in a good accounting of themselves.

The team held training camp in Turkey during Ramadan and practised three times a day – twice before Iftar and once after, he said.

“In Turkey, we played against big, very strong players and our levels improved,” Malallah said. “Our coaches have trained us so well. Before we couldn’t even shoot too well.”

Not that Malallah thinks for one moment that the team are anywhere near the finished article, warning. “We need to concentrate more during training, make sure our shooting is better,” he said.

Of the teams taking part in Dubai, one stood out to the 16 year old. “The Greek team is excellent, they are very strong,” he said.

The UAE will play group matches with Italy, Puerto Rico and Spain,

“The other teams are bigger,” the UAE’s Mohammed Abdullah said. “But we like to play against those players. It improves our standards. We have no fear playing them.”

Point guard Walid Abdulrahman said that the squad has grown closer, and better, but worries that not enough youngsters in the UAE are playing basketball.

“There are some who like to play basketball, but the majority, the bigger players, still prefer to play football,” said Abdulrahman, who plays for Al Shaab in Sharjah.

Regardless of how the UAE fare in the tournament, which finishes on August 16, Malallah said his passion for the sport will remain strong.

“Whatever happens, I’ll continue playing basketball,” he said. “I hope to make Emiratis proud.”