Issam Khalidi
In
September 1944 Palestine Sports Federation PSF was re-established (first established
in 1931). Later, a basketball committee was formed beside the other committees.
In June 1945, competitions in basketball started in all regions (Jerusalem,
Jaffa, Gaza, Haifa, Galilee and Nablus). In July 1945,the Cairo YMCA visited
Palestine and competed with some clubs in Jaffa, Haifa and with the Jerusalem-YMCA.
In May 1946, the selected team of Jaffa competed with Barada Club of Damascus.
In July 1947 the selected team of Haifa competed with the same selected team of
Jaffa.[1]
In August
1947 the Andony (Anthony) Club in Jaffa won the game against Salesian
Haifa (Roman Catholic Salesian Congregation of St.
John Bosco) and won the championship of Palestine. Among the best teams in
Palestine were the Jerusalem YMCA , Salesian in Haifa, Anthony Club in Jaffa,
Orthodox Club in Jaffa and Islamic Club Jaffa. The Selesian Club in Haifa
competed with the Club of (Rome) and the Salesian School in Rome.[2] However, basketball
among Arabs lagged behind Jewish basketball which could reach higher levels due
to the experience which was brought by immigrants from developed countries.
West Bank
After
1948, basketball was practiced among schools and club members in cities and
refugee camps in Gaza, West Bank, Lebanon, Syria and Jordan. In 1949, an
unofficial tournament was held between Urdon Club, al-Ahli, al-Faisali and
Palestine Selected Team. In 1955, the YMCA in East Jerusalem formed a basketball team which
took part later in the major league when al-Ahli Club won first place, YMCA –
second, while al-Urdon came in the third place.[3] In 1966, YMCA in
Jerusalem organized its Saiqa (thunderbolt) first tournament (after the
opening of its basketball court). In 1967, under the auspices of Prince Hasan
it organized and won its second tournament. [4] The YMCA Saiqa continued
from 1969 until 1998. The competition was always intensive between YMCA and al-Ittihad
al-Riyadi in Nablus.
In 1975 Rabitat al-Andiya (League) was
established which included clubs from Jerusalem and Hebron provinces. In 1980,
all clubs from all provinces in the West Bank decided to be included in this
league (Rabitat al-Andiya).In 1984, the YMCA basketball team left to
Amman and competed with the Orthodox Club there. In 1985,
it organized the first championship in basketball where 34 teams took
part. Al-A’mal al-Katoliki (Catholic
Labor) won the cup.
In 1978, the first tournament for colleges was launched, three major
universities (Birzeit, al-Najah and Bethlehem) in the West Bank took part.
Gaza Sector
In 1956 Gaza Sports
Club won the championship of the Gaza Sector. The Egyptian
administration in Gaza Sector put reasonable efforts for the growth of sports. A new stage in basketball started
when in June 10th 1962 the Palestine Basketball Association PBA was
established by the al-Majlis al-A’la li-Ria’yat wa as-Shabab (Supreme Council
for Youth Care). The Supreme Council made
Dr. Goerge Rishmawi the President of PBA, George Mistkawi secretary, Mustafa
Salman treasury, while Yousef al-Hashwa and Hamdi Sharif also became members.
Immediately a national basketball team was formed, the majority of the
players were from Sector Gaza. Due to the efforts of Dr. George Rishmawi and
the outstanding efforts of the national team, it joined the International
Basketball Federation in 1964. In Gaza Yousef Hashwa became the first
international referee in Palestine.[5]
The Palestinian team
competed in several tournaments such as:
The African Tournament in Casablanca in 1963 where Palestine got third place among 52 countries;[6]
Arab Tournament in Tripoli in Libya in
1963 – the fourth place; Fourth Pan Arab Games in Egypt in 1964. The team was
accompanied by Dr. George Rishmawi who represented Palestine in Mediterranean
and European branch of the International Basketball Association IBA, and in
Beirut 1962, Cairo 1964, Tunis 1966, and Alexandria 1967.[7]
In 1978, Ribitat al-Andiya was established in Gaza Sector. In November 1978, the Supreme Council of
Youth Care re-established the Palestine Basketball Association. It chose Dr.
George Rishmawi as its honorary president. Its headquarters were located in
Gaza. Later, it was moved to Damascus and headed by Faruq Othman (Syria),
Yousef al-Masri – vice president, Yousef al-Husari – treasury, Najib Suwwan –
member. [8]
[1]Difa January 15 1946.
The branch committee of basketball asked the clubs that practiced
basketball to pay an annual fee 1 Palestinian pound. The committee decided to
conduct tests for the referees that the region committee nominated.
[4]RasimYunis, Al-Haraka al-Riyadiya fi al-Difa
al-Gharbiya 1967-87.(Sports Movement in West Bank 1967-87).1992, p.185.
[6]The
team at thistournament wascombinedoftheplayers: Abdel Hamid Mas’ud, Samir
Mousa, Basem Mousa, Muhammad Dalu, Yousef Kiriazi, Hanna Saba, Yousef al-Masri,
Ya’coub Abu al-Khair, Shaker al-Bawwab, Ibrahim al-Ja’fariand George Mazhar. The coach was Ahmad Mifrij.
[8]
Khalid Ijjawi, al-Haraka al-Riyadiyya al-Falastiniyya fi al-Shatat, )Palestinian Sports Movement in Diaspora), a-Dar
al-Wataniya al-Jadida, Damascus, 2001.
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