For TKS Shark Basketball star Sami Uariachi, representing his home country of Morocco at an international level has been a lifelong dream. For those that were able to catch some SAIKAC U19 Basketball games earlier this year, Sami is a player you may remember well, helping the TKS team capture its first ever SAIKAC gold. Sami is a highly driven and dedicated athlete who has been playing basketball since he could walk – this spring, he was able to return to Morocco for the Moroccan U16 National Team.
After a rigorous but successful training camp, Sami was soon jetting off to compete in a friendly tournament in Algeria alongside National teams from Tunisia, Mali and Algeria. The highlights of this tournament include defeating arch rival Algeria in round robin play and, while the team ultimately lost to a very large and very physical team from Mali, Sami was voted tournament MVP (Most Valuable Player).
As soon as Sami returned to Rabat, he was on a plane again, this time jetting to Spain where he was invited to play with top club, Zaragoza. For Sami, playing in Spain (a basketball powerhouse) and playing for this high level professional club, was another dream come true. This annual tournament included 32 teams and is well known as a staging ground for future Olympic talent. His adopted team managed to win five out the six games they played and ended up ninth overall.
Sami commented that the level of play was extremely strong and that the experience exceeded his expectations and took him to a whole new level of basketball competition. The final leg of this marathon of basketball was to return to Morocco and rejoin the U16 National team for a second training camp as they prepared to face Algeria once again – unfortunately, Morocco was unable to repeat their earlier defeat of Algeria.
Sami, ever gracious in victory or defeat, knew that his less experienced and smaller Moroccan team mates would be hard pressed to defeat them again. Sami, now back to his home at KAUST, aspires to play college basketball in either the USA or Canada when he graduates. Sami is certainly the most talented high school basketball player I have ever had the pleasure to watch.
I know I speak for all his TKS teammates, classmates and teachers that we are proud of his accomplishments and look forward to having he and his teammates defend that SAIKAC Gold next year!
GO SHARKS!
Read this week’s issue of The Wave, the weekly KAUST School newsletter that updates parents and the community about the latest happenings in grades K1-12.