Al-Rayyan SC (basketball)

Al Rayyan Basketball Team (Arabic: فريق الريان لكرة السلة‎) is a Qatari professional basketball team based in Omm Alafai in the city of Al-Rayyan, Qatar. Al Rayyan is one of the most successful basketball clubs in Qatar, with many domestic and international titles to its name. It is part of the Al Rayyan Sports Club multisport club.

Al Rayyan
NicknameThe Lions
Al-Raheeb (The Fierce)
LeaguesQatari Basketball League
FIBA Asia Champions Cup
Founded1970 (1970)
ArenaAl Rayyan Indoor Arena
Capacity2,000
LocationAl-Rayyan, Qatar
Team colorsRed and Black
   
PresidentSheikh Saud Bin Ali Al-Thani
Head coachStergios Koufos
ChampionshipsQatari Championship (15)
Emir of Qatar Cup (9)
Qatar Crown Prince Cup (6)
WebsiteOfficial website (in Arabic)

History

Beginnings (1979–1998)

Al Rayyan Basketball Team participated in the league after the establishment of the Qatar Basketball Federation (QBF) headed by Mr. Nasser Al-Mubarak Al-Ali in 1979. They had to play in outside courts paved with cement as Al-Rayyan Sports Club, or any club for that matter, did not have air-conditioned halls at that time, meaning that the surface area would be very dangerous to play on. At a time while basketball was first being introduced to Qatar, there were only four other clubs competing in the basketball league.[1]

A report published by QBF in 1982 stated the total number of basketball players in Al-Rayyan in 1970 was eight, with that number gradually decreasing throughout the decade, until 1974, when it was three. They were then coached by Sudanese Abdul Monem Salem. The game started to pick up in the early '80s after the formation of QBF. The playerbase increased, and South Korean coach Young-Suk was selected to bring the team glory. In the '80s, their team was one to be reckoned with, with the likes of Ahmed Mohammed Ali, the top scorer of the division in 1980–81, and Omar Mohammed, the top scorer of the youth division in the same year. Players were laid off in the mid-'80s, rendering the club ineligible to compete in the 1985–86 season. In 1988, the club had once again picked itself up again, with the juniors winning the 1988–89 and 1990–91 seasons. By 1992, the club had more than 95 players.[1]

Golden era (1998–present)

The club was able to achieve its first league trophy in 1998 under the guidance of coach Ali Fakhro. Sheikh Saud Bin Khaled Al-Thani, then-president of the club, awarded every player with a sum of 2,000 QR. The team continued to show good performances in the basketball league throughout the new millennium, winning the Asia Champions Cup both in 2002 and 2005, as well as finishing runners-up in 2001, 2003, 2008 and 2010 and placed third in 2004, 2006, 2007 and 2011. They are the second most successful in the competition, and have the most total medals.

They have also had regional success, winning the Gulf Club Championship in 2002 and 2004, in addition to finishing runners-up three times: 2003, 2006 and 2011.

Honours

Domestic
Winners (15): 1995–1996, 1996–1997, 1997–1998, 1998–1999, 1999–2000, 2001–2002, 2002–2003, 2003–2004, 2004–2005, 2005–2006, 2006–2007, 2008–2009, 2009–2010, 2010–2011, 2011–2012
  • Emir of Qatar Cup
Winners (6): 1998–1999, 2003–2004, 2005–2006, 2009–2010, 2010–2011, 2012–2013
  • Qatar Crown Prince Cup
Winners (6): 2001–2002, 2003–2004, 2004–2005, 2005–2006, 2007–2008, 2008–2009

International
  • Gulf Club Championships
Winners (2): 2002, 2004
Winners (2): 2002, 2005

Roster
Brian Rowsom coaching Al Rayyan in a league game in 2012

Last Update: December 5, 2016 [2]

Al Rayyan Basketball Team Roster
PlayersCoaches
Pos.Νο.Nat.NameHt.
PG 5 Bakhit, Saeed 1.88 m (6 ft 2 in)
SG 6 Al-Khanji, Omar Nasser 1.88 m (6 ft 2 in)
PF 22 Matalkeh, Abduallah 2.00 m (6 ft 7 in)
SF 11 Abdelhaleem, Abdelrahman 2.01 m (6 ft 7 in)
SF 8 Ngombo, Tanguy (C) 1.98 m (6 ft 6 in)
SF 7 Abdelaziz, Mohamed 1.95 m (6 ft 5 in)
C 23 Bell, Marcus 2.06 m (6 ft 9 in)
PF 13 Mohamed, Hassan 1.94 m (6 ft 4 in)
F/C 15 Salem, Omar 2.06 m (6 ft 9 in)
F/C Lawal, Gani 2.06 m (6 ft 9 in)
Head coach
  • Stergios Koufos
Assistant coach
  • Thanassis Giaples
Legend
  • (C) Team captain

Note: Flags indicate national team eligibility at FIBA sanctioned events. Players may hold other non-FIBA nationality not displayed.

Managerial history

Top league scorers each season
Season Top scorer(s) Points
1981 Ahmed Mohammed Ali 0-
2011 Tanguy Ngombo 0-
2012 Tanguy Ngombo 0293

Notable players

* Stephen Hurt

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See also

References
  1. Al Rayyan Basketball Team History. rayyanclub.com (in Arabic)
  2. "AL RAYYAN DOHA basketball team". asia-basket.com. Retrieved 2012-02-15.
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