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Blackanthem Military News
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Last Updated:
Jul 4, 2009 - 6:56:05 PM |
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| Abdullah Nagrem Sarraf fakes a pass to a teammate during first-half action in the Operation Hardwood IV Friendship Game. The game was part of a week-long tournament sponsored by the USO and Third Army/U.S. Army Central. (Photo by Spc. Wes Landrum, 50th Public Affairs Detachment) |
Blackanthem Military News, Camp Arifjan, Kuwait, hosted the Kuwaiti basketball team from Kuwait Naval Base for a game held on May 26 that pitted the Kuwaiti National Team against a team of selected U.S. players of American military personnel stationed in Kuwait. The Operation Hardwood IV Friendship Game was sponsored by the USO and Third Army/U.S. Army Central, and took place in conjunction with this year’s Operation Hardwood IV basketball tournament. Operation Hardwood is a yearly sports event that brings American college-league basketball coaches overseas to organize basketball tournaments with American military personnel and to coach the players. The Kuwait team took an early lead at the tournament and won 47-41.
“The Kuwaiti team was just too good,” commented University of Vermont coach Mike Lonergan, one of three coaches on the U.S. side. “It was tough defending against them. They just seemed to want it more than us,” he added.
“It was good to play a game like this,” said Abdul Aziz Sayed Yosef, the coach of the Kuwaiti team. “It brings about good sportsmanship and helps to maintain warm relations between Kuwait and the U.S.”
The different styles of the two basketball teams were evident during the game that was played before a crowd of American service personnel. The Americans played a half-court slow pace strategy. The Kuwaiti team had a high tempo and remained on the offense throughout the game. At half time, Kuwait maintained a small lead of 21-17. During the second half, the Kuwaitis managed to keep the hard-charging American team in check. With just 60 seconds remaining in the game, however, the Americans managed to cut the lead to two, but they missed two shots in the final minute. When the final buzzer rang, Kuwait won by six points. The gracious winners accepted the congratulations of the Americans, and the two teams posed for photos on the basketball court.
“I had fun playing tonight,” said Abdullah Nagrem Sarraf, a Kuwaiti player. “It was a chance to measure my talent level with that of the U.S. players and see where I stand in their eyes.”
“You can learn a lot from your opponent,” said Sgt. Craig Kirby, a forward on the U.S. team. “The Kuwaitis were determined and willing to go the extra mile to accomplish their mission.”
Yosef commented that the game was not about winning or losing, but about the camaraderie and brotherhood that playing a simple game can bring between Kuwaitis and Americans.“This is great for esprit de corps,” he said. “Both teams gave their all out there and this is as it should be.”
ADDITIONAL PHOTOS:
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| Abdullah Nagrem Sarraf fights for two points in the friendship game played between the U.S. and Kuwait. The game is one part in the Operation Hardwood IV Basketball Tournament sponsored by the USO and Third Army/U.S. Army Central. (Photo by Spc. Wes Landrum, 50th Public Affairs Detachment) |
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| Abdullah Nagrem Sarraf and a U.S. player share a word during a timeout in the Friendship Game. Operation Hardwood IV is a week-long tournament sponsored by the USO and Third Army/U.S. Army Central that puts military basketball teams together with NCAA coaches. (Photo by Spc. Wes Landrum, 50th Public Affairs Detachment) |
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| Abdullah Nagrem Sarrah flies through the air in route to a rousing one-handed dunk in the U.S./Kuwait Friendship Game. Kuwait defeated the U.S. 47-41 in the game sponsored by the USO and Third Army/U.S. Army Central. (Photo by Spc. Wes Landrum, 50th Public Affairs Detachment) |
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| Fahas Abdul Raman Al Monayer tries to shake a defender in the U.S./Kuwait Friendship Game. The game, sponsored by the USO and Third Army/U.S. Army Central is part of Operation Hardwood IV, a week-long tournament pairing NCAA coaches with military basketball teams. (Photo by Spc. Wes Landrum, 50th Public Affairs Detachment) |
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