Player wants to take basketball to newer heights in Qatar

*Abdulrahim Abuissa organises camp in Qatar with assistant coach for the NBA’s Cleveland Cavaliers JJ Outlaw

Having studied in the United States, Abuissa has naturally developed a passion for the game at a very young age and took up the sport.
A shooting guard (one of the five traditional positions in basketball), Abuissa is the first Qatari to play in the NCAA Division 1, the highest level of college basketball in the United States.

He has also gone to represent Qatar and Al Sadd back home.
But just playing the game wasn’t enough for the youngster as Abuissa wants to grow the game in his home country.
Abuissa through his venture A I Sports, of which he is the Founder & CEO – has roped in assistant coach for the NBA’s Cleveland Cavaliers JJ Outlaw to conduct a camp in Qatar.
Into his second year, the camp was held at the Qatar Basketball Federation from August 11 to 14 – with more than 50 boys and girls from the age group of 8 to 18 honing their skills.
“It’s never too early to start.

“I saw an opportunity and thought I should start this initiative. I grew up playing basketball here, so basketball to me has been a huge part of my life. My focus is to bring the basketball culture to Qatar and develop a passion for the game.
“In Qatar, football is very popular but I also want kids to play basketball,” Abuissa told Gulf Times Saturday.
“We had 11 coaches and around 50 participants – both boys and girls – from the age group of 8 to 18 participate in the camp. We also had players from clubs take part.
“We worked on offense, defense and a lot of ball skills. The kids also took part in 3×3 matches.
“I want to thank Qatar Basketball Federation (QBF) for doing this and for allowing us to use their facility.
“I am excited with what I saw in the kids, they have a lot of passion for basketball.
They just need more opportunities and exposure,” he added.

The group sessions in the camp were focused on offensive fundamentals with a strong emphasis on perimeter footwork, ball handling, and shooting.
The drills and teaching points were the same used in NBA practice and personal workouts that coach Outlaw has conducted over the past 11 years in the NBA.
The idea of the camp is to tap the talent at the grassroots level and bring in basketball culture among the kids.
“The camps kind of help players find opportunities throughout the year. I think that’s very valuable.
“I really enjoy helping the grassroots here in Doha. I think that’s very important.
Kids need to be attached to the game at an early age. Kids need to be a part of the basketball culture, up to date all the time. So that’s really what we’re trying to do here,” says Abuissa.
Having witnessed the enthusiasm for the game from the budding hoopsters, Abuissa wants to organise more such camps in the country.
“This is just the beginning, I want to do more for basketball in Qatar. In the future, we are planning for more ventures with NBA personnel.
“Not just with coaching but also in relation to strength and conditioning,” he says.
Meanwhile, coach JJ Outlaw, who has worked with three different NBA teams and many NBA all-star players, said it was rewarding to come to Qatar and develop the game.
“It’s my second time here in Qatar. There is so much interest for the game of basketball at the grassroots level here. And so to have the opportunity to come and work with these young players is extremely rewarding for me, but it’s also a way of giving back to the game and spreading knowledge of the game.
“And that’s something that I’m all about,” he said. Outlaw is in his second year as an assistant coach at the Cavaliers.
He previously spent three seasons with the Memphis Grizzlies, including the 2018-19 campaign as an assistant coach focused on player development.
Prior to that, Outlaw also worked for the Los Angeles Lakers.
“To see how much the game is growing in Qatar is extremely rewarding.
I also want to add that the coaches here are extremely knowledgeable and extremely experienced. A lot of them are former players themselves.
“And so for them to take the time out of their schedules and work with these players, I think it’s extremely beneficial for everybody,” Outlaw said.
“Just like with anything, you have to have a foundation. And so that’s really what we’ve been trying to create for the last two years.
“And then I would love to be able to bring NBA coaches and players, so that they can experience this wonderful place and the things that I’ve experienced in the last few years here,” the assistant coach at Cavaliers said.