Ismail Ahmad (basketball)

Ismail Ahmed Abdelmoneim (Arabic: إسماعيل أحمد عبد المنعم; born September 23, 1976), also known as Somaa, is an Egyptian-Lebanese professional basketball player for Al Riyadi Club Beirut of the Lebanese Basketball League.[1] He was a main member of the Egypt national basketball team that participated in the FIBA Africa Championship 2001 in Casablanca in Morocco and in the FIBA Africa Championship 2003 that took place in Alexandria, Egypt. He is nicknamed "The Egyptian Pharaoh".

Ismail Ahmad
إسماعيل أحمد
No. 1 – Al Riyadi Club Beirut
PositionPower forward / center
LeagueLebanese Basketball League
Personal information
Born (1976-09-23) September 23, 1976
Alexandria, Egypt
NationalityEgyptian / Lebanese
Listed height2.06 m (6 ft 9 in)
Listed weight244 lb (111 kg)
Career information
Playing career1993–present
Career history
1993–1997Al Ittihad Alexandria
1999Hekmeh BC
2000–2001Al Riyadi Beirut
2001–2003Al Ittihad
2003–2004Champville SC
2004–2017Al Riyadi Beirut
2017–2018Homenetmen
2018–2020Al Riyadi Beirut
2020–2022Al Ittihad Alexandria
2022–presentAl Riyadi Beirut
Medals
Men's basketball
Representing  Egypt
FIBA Africa Championship
Bronze medal – third place2001 CasablancaTeam
Bronze medal – third place2003 AlexandriaTeam

Career

Ahmad began his professional career in 1993, when he was 17 and made his debut on Al Ittihad Alexandria of the Egyptian Basketball Super League. In 1996, he traveled to Lebanon to participate in the Arab Club Basketball Championship. He led the team to the championship beating Lebanese Sagesse Beirut.

He was loaned from Wardia to play with Sagesse Beirut in the Arab Club Championship in 1998. Ahmad played a historic role in the team title scoring 21 points in the final. He was the second player with an Arab surname and the first with the Lebanese team.

After the Rosary, he played in 1999 under the leadership of the Egyptian coach Azmi Sharif before returning to Egypt to play with Ittihad. He then returned to Lebanon from Champville gate in 2002. In the summer of 2002, Ahmad went to the United States to play for the Houston Rockets in the NBA Summer League, and then the Miami Heat the following year.

On September 22, 2017, he signed with Homenetmen. After one season, he returned to Al Riyadi where he stayed for two more seasons.

In January 2020, Ahmad returned to Al Ittihad Alexandria after 13 years. In his first season he won the 2019–20 Egyptian Basketball Super League and was named the league's Most Valuable Player (MVP). Ahmad also won two Egyptian Cups (in 2020 and 2021) with the team. After the season was suspended due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Ahmad agreed to a 50% salary cut with Ittihad.[2]

On May 17, 2022, Ahmad joined Al Riyadi Beirut for the final stage of the Lebanese Basketball League.[3]

National team career

Ahmad has represented the Egypt national basketball team and has won the African Games three times. He also won three bronze medals at the FIBA AfroBasket tournaments.

Awards and accomplishments

Club

Al Ittihad Alexandria

Sagesse Beirut

Al Riyadi Beirut

Champville SC

  • Lebanese Basketball Cup (x1): 2004

Homenetmen Beirut BC

Egypt

Egypt National Team

Individual

References
  1. "Ahmad Ismail, Egypt". Player Profiles. asia-basket.com. Retrieved 16 June 2016.
  2. "Al Ittihad star Ismail Ahmed takes 50 percent pay cut". EgyptToday. 18 April 2020. Retrieved 18 May 2022.
  3. "Al Riyadi welcomes back Ismail, ex Al Ettehad". Afrobasket.com. 17 May 2022. Retrieved 18 May 2022.
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