Ange Kouame

Kakou Ange Franck Williams "Angelo" Kouame (born December 15, 1997) is an Ivorian-Filipino[1] basketball player. Kouame played college basketball for the Ateneo Blue Eagles of the University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP), winning 3 championships with Ateneo and the UAAP MVP award in UAAP Season 84. He also represents the Philippines on its national basketball team.

Ange Kouame
Kouame with the Ateneo Blue Eagles in 2018
UB Chartres Métropole
PositionCenter
LeagueNationale Masculine 1
Personal information
Born (1997-12-15) December 15, 1997
Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire
NationalityIvorian / Filipino
Listed height6 ft 10 in (2.08 m)
Listed weight220 lb (100 kg)
Career information
CollegeAteneo de Manila University (2018–2022)
Playing career2023–present
Career history
2023–presentUB Chartres Métropole
Career highlights and awards
Medals
Men's basketball
Representing  Philippines
Asian Games
Gold medal – first place2022 HangzhouTeam

Early life and education

Kouame was born on December 15, 1997,[2] in Abidjan, Ivory Coast. He was into football during his early childhood until developing interest in basketball when he and his younger brother requested their father for football kits but were instead given basketball jerseys.[3] When his father died in 2012,[4] he started committing on playing basketball as a means to cope for his loss.[3] Koaume played 3-a-side street basketball with his friends and was part of his high school's basketball team, although he remarked that his stint with his school's team was "not that serious" and involved more "practicing".[4]

Upon the recommendation of a friend, Kouame moved to the Philippines to study at the Ateneo de Manila University under a student-athlete scholarship. Kouame speaks fluent French (the national language of birth country, Ivory Coast) but did not speak English upon moving to the Philippines. He studied for one year at the Multiple Intelligence International School (MIIS) in Quezon City to develop his English speaking skills that would help him be acquainted with Filipino culture prior to attending Ateneo.[3] He would graduate from Ateneo in 2023 with a bachelor's degree in interdisciplinary studies.[5]

College career

Kouame was able to connect with the Ateneo Blue Eagles through his Cameroonian friend Aaron Njike who got recruited for a team in the United States. Njike linked Kouame to Ateneo varsity basketball team manager Epok Quimpo for an opportunity to try out for the college varsity team of Ateneo. He was assessed by coaches Yuri Escueta and Tab Baldwin, who was a team consultant for Ateneo at the time. Ateneo decided to have Kouame join the team despite lacking in fundamentals and training. Koaume only learned how to play traditional 5-a-side basketball in the Philippines and had to learn basketball terminologies in English.[4]

Despite being a foreign player, Kouame did not have to fulfill a residency requirement, due to him graduating from MIIS in Quezon City and debuted for the Ateneo Blue Eagles in UAAP Season 81 in 2018.[6] Prior to his UAAP debut, Kouame was part of Glory Be, Ateneo's B team for a year and also featured for the main collegiate team at the SMART City Hoops Basketball Championship, the SMART Breakdown Basketball Invitationals U25 Division, and the FilOil Preseason Cup in 2018.[3] He also took part in Ateneo's campaign in the 2018 William Jones Cup in Taiwan, which saw his team finishing as fourth placers.[7]

He helped Ateneo clinch two consecutive titles; in UAAP Season 81 and 82.[8] Following Kouame's granting of Filipino citizenship in May 2021 through a naturalization legislation passed by the Congress, the UAAP board made an agreement that Filipinos who received citizenship through an act of Congress shall still be considered as foreign student athletes (FSAs) in the collegiate league.[9]

Kouame stayed two more seasons with Ateneo. In that time he was the Season MVP for Season 84, and despite suffering multiple injuries, was the Finals MVP for Season 85.[10]

He also played for Ateneo in the PBA D-League.[11]

Professional career

By May 2021, Koaume who was still in Ateneo at the time has been receiving offers to play for teams in other parts of Asia and in Europe.[12] However he remained with Ateneo for two more UAAP seasons.

Kouame joined the Rain or Shine Elasto Painters of the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) in 2023.[13] Despite being a naturalized Filipino citizen already by this time, he is still only eligible to play as an import as per league eligibility rules.[14] Instead, he played for the team at the 2023 William Jones Cup where the team was invited as the Philippines' representative. This marked Kouame's return to the Taiwan tournament since 2018.[13][15]

In September 2023, UB Chartres Métropole, which plays in the Nationale Masculine 1, the third tier of French basketball, announced that they had signed Kouame.[16]

National team career

Naturalization

Kouame has been considered for the Philippine national team as early as 2018, following his stint in the 2018 William Jones Cup in Taiwan with Ateneo. However, Kouame would have to obtain Filipino citizenship to be eligible.[17] He successfully obtained consent from his mother to obtain Filipino citizenship, despite his mother hesitating initially over concerns that he might lose his Ivorian citizenship.[17][18]

The Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas (SBP) in 2020 began to lobby in the Congress for Kouame to be given Filipino citizenship through naturalization following his performance in UAAP Season 82 which would make him eligible to play for the Philippine national team.[19] Koaume was added to the national team's pool for the November 2020 window of the 2021 FIBA Asia Cup qualifiers despite a slim chance for his naturalization process to be completed in time for the Philippines' first match in that window. This was meant to help him get acquainted with the Philippine national team's system.[20] The House of Representatives passed a bill granting Kouame citizenship on February 16, 2021,[21] while the Senate passed its version on March 15.[22] The SBP announced on May 18 that President Rodrigo Duterte had signed Kouame's naturalization bill into law.[1][23]

Philippine national team

Kouame's eligibility to play for the Philippine national team was confirmed by FIBA in June 2021, a month after he was given Filipino citizenship.[24] He was then included in the Philippines 12-man roster for the third and final round of the 2021 FIBA Asia Cup qualifiers.[25] Kouame debuted for the Philippines in June 16 game against South Korea. The Philippines won 81–78 in that game with Kouame contributing 12 points and 6 rebounds.[26] He also played in the 2020 FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament in Belgrade, Serbia.[27]

In 2022, Kouame played against the Jordanian and Saudi Arabian national teams during the 2023 FIBA World Cup qualifiers.[28]

Kouame was included in the 21-man pool for the 2023 FIBA World Cup.[29] However, he was not selected as the Philippines chose Jordan Clarkson as its lone naturalized player.

He would later become part of the 2022 Asian Games squad which won the gold medal.[30]

Awards and accomplishments

UAAP

PCCL

Filoil EcoOil Preseason Cup

PBA D-League

References
  1. "Ange Kouame's naturalization now official". ABS-CBN News. May 18, 2021. Retrieved May 18, 2021.
  2. "Kakou Kouame". Asia Basket. Eurobasket LLC. Retrieved November 15, 2020.
  3. Banaag, Joseph; Uy, Karl (September 21, 2018). "Under the spotlight: Angelo Kouame". The Guidon. Retrieved November 15, 2020.
  4. Go, Beatrice (October 31, 2018). "How Angelo Kouame took his game from the streets to the Big Dome". Rappler. Retrieved November 15, 2020.
  5. "Ange Kouame, five other Blue Eagles receive Ateneo degrees". Tiebreaker Times. June 30, 2023. Retrieved July 1, 2023.
  6. Leongson, Randolph (August 31, 2019). "Eagles team manager says rule cited in Ange Kouame eligibility dispute is outdated". Sports Interactive Network Philippines. Retrieved November 15, 2020.
  7. Giongco, Mark (July 22, 2018). "Ateneo ends impressive Jones Cup stint in 4th place". Philippine Daily Inquirer. Retrieved August 12, 2023.
  8. "Naturalization of Ateneo's Angelo Kouame already in the works". Sun Star Cebu. October 23, 2020. Retrieved November 15, 2020.
  9. Li, Matthew (May 18, 2021). "Naturalized Filipinos by Congress to remain as FSAs in UAAP". Tiebreaker Times. Retrieved May 23, 2021.
  10. Agcaoili, Lance (December 19, 2022). "Ateneo's Ange Koume regains old form, wins UAAP Finals MVP". Philippine Daily Inquirer. Retrieved December 21, 2022.
  11. "Kouame couldn't care less about records as Ateneo chases DL title". Sports Interactive Network Philippines. April 9, 2019. Retrieved August 12, 2023.
  12. Naredo, Camille (May 23, 2021). "Ange Kouame already receiving offers to play overseas". ABS-CBN News. Retrieved May 23, 2021.
  13. Ramos, Gerry (July 19, 2023). "Rain or Shine grateful to Gilas for lending Kouame for Jones Cup campaign". Sports Interactive Network Philippines. Retrieved August 12, 2023.
  14. Bacnis, Justine (January 8, 2022). "Ricky Vargas hopes naturalized players can play in PBA one day". Tiebreaker Times. Retrieved August 12, 2023.
  15. Leyba, Olmin (August 11, 2023). "Ange to make big difference for ROS?". The Philippine Star. Retrieved August 12, 2023.
  16. Dioquino, Delfin (October 8, 2023). "Ange Kouame headed to France after helping Gilas Pilipinas recapture Asian Games throne". RAPPLER. Retrieved October 8, 2023.
  17. Li, Matthew (November 28, 2020). "Kouame can't wait to don Gilas' colors: 'I really want to be a part of it'". Tiebreaker Times. Retrieved November 28, 2020.
  18. Li, Matthew (May 23, 2021). "Ange Kouame's mom in Ivory Coast celebrates son's naturalization". Tiebreaker Times. Retrieved May 23, 2021.
  19. "SBP taps Ange Kouame to be part of Gilas naturalized players". Daily Guardian. January 22, 2020. Retrieved November 15, 2020.
  20. Li, Matthew (November 14, 2020). "Gilas ready to go all-Filipino if Kouame's papers don't make it for Manama bubble". Tiebreaker Times. Retrieved November 15, 2020.
  21. Galvez, Waylon (February 16, 2021). "Congress approves Kouame naturalization papers". Manila Bulletin. Retrieved May 18, 2021.
  22. "Senate allows 2 naturalized athletes to play for PH flag". Philippine News Agency. March 15, 2021. Retrieved May 18, 2021.
  23. "AN ACT GRANTING PHILIPPINE CITIZENSHIP TO KAKOU ANGE FRANCK WILLIAMS KOUAME". act No. RA-11543 of May 18, 2021 (PDF). Republic of the Philippines, Congress of the Philippines, Metro Manila, Eighteenth Congress, Second Regular Session.
  24. Leyba, Olmin (June 13, 2021). "Kouame gets FIBA green light". The Philippine Star. Retrieved June 19, 2021.
  25. "Kai Sotto, Angelo Kouame headline 12-man lineup for FIBA Asia Cup Qualifiers". GMA News Online. June 15, 2021. Retrieved June 19, 2021.
  26. Terrado, Jonas (June 17, 2021). "Kouame admits Korea match 'toughest game of my career'". Manila Bulletin. Retrieved June 19, 2021.
  27. Lozada, Bong (July 1, 2021). "Tough battle vs Marjanovic learning experience for Kouame". Philippine Daily Inquirer. Retrieved July 4, 2021.
  28. Carmen, Lorenzo del (November 17, 2022). "Kouame relishes Gilas experience as he learned from Japeth". Tiebreaker Times. Retrieved December 21, 2022.
  29. Terrado, Reuben (June 6, 2023). "Clarkson, Brownlee, Kouame head 21-man Gilas pool for World Cup". spin.ph. Retrieved September 9, 2023.
  30. Villanueva, Ralph Edwin (October 6, 2023). "Kouame saves best for last as Gilas ascends to Asiad basketball throne". The Philippine Star. Retrieved October 7, 2023.
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