Shooting Hoops
Senior Boys Basketball
It was a mixed season for the Senior Boys Basketball team, who perhaps did not get the results they deserved, but showed great prowess in every game they played and produced some stunning individual performances throughout the season. The first game was, unfortunately, also the last for one of the PE department’s greatest servants in recent years, with Bradley Altman playing superbly in his final St Chris fixture. However, even his flair and the confident drives of Sami Al Ruffai were not enough to turn over an exceptional BSB side at their home base. Next up came an experienced side from Bahrain School, who were especially motivated after last year’s defeat. Bahrain School did run out eventual winners, however, they were pushed all the way by the calmly aggressive Shane McCarthy and the personification of work-rate that is Marco Maggi. Special mention here should also go to three-point specialist Yaseen Le Falher, who consistently repelled Bahrain School, before turning defence into attack to keep the scoreboard ticking in our favour.
Due to previous results, St Chris were dealt a difficult draw in the final tournament, but still acquitted themselves extremely well. Yousuf Dhaif led the attack with his legendary left handed dribble, with Marco and Yaseen controlling the defence, either side of influential Captain, Yousif Abu-Hamad. The team finished third overall, with some of the younger players showing encouraging signs of promise for future years. The season finished with a friendly match away to IKNS, who dominated the early proceedings, however, the introduction of the elusive Akshat Mittal and the sheer determination shown by a returning George Axtell (previously absent through injury) turned the tide in our favour, albeit a little too late to affect the final result. The final fixture of the season did allow for a little sentimentality and it was a great moment when the five departing Year 13 students were subbed on together to contest the final five minutes of the match. This was a particularly poignant juncture in the season, as the students involved have put an enormous amount of effort into Basketball, not just on the court but also in organising extra sessions and mentoring their younger peers in the art of the screen. All will be sorely missed.
As coaches, we would like to offer our thanks, especially to the Year 13 students, for what has been a memorable season and one that we have been proud to be involved in. All the players who have turned up on a Wednesday and Saturday have been a credit to the school and we wish the leavers every success in their future endeavours.
Senior Boys team:
Yousif Abu-Hamad (c)
Shane McCarthy (vc)
Akshat Mittal
Cezar Musharrafiyyah
Pavle Ognjenovic
Owen Rohrer
Sami Al Ruffai
Bradley Altman
George Axtell
Liam Chapman
Yousuf Dhaif
Yaseen Le Falher
Marco Maggi
Senior Girls League and Tournament Runners Up!
The season started well, beating BSB 32 – 2. Our second match was against Bahrain School and St Chris lost 48 – 28. The final tournament took place at Bahrain School and our Senior Girls came second, well done! A huge thank you to Carmen for all her guidance and coaching this season with the Senior Girls team.
Team members – Carmen Carritt, Gabriela Deakin, Aarti Rangarajan, Sama Mahmoud, Reem Traboulssi, Kiana Mongelos, Danielle Wilkinson, Faye Weaver, Palesa Riede, Eman Ahmed and Khadija Mercer.
