Destined to hoop: Syria finds a keeper in Aya Almohammad

AMMAN (Jordan) - Aya Almohammad was just 5 when she first played basketball.

But even at such a young age, she knew right then and there that it is what she wants.

"It made me feel alive and confident," she said,  "and I knew immediately it's my sport."

Fast forward to the present and Aya has indeed taken the path she dreamt of. Now a player at 16, she's doing what she loves the most while serving a bigger cause.

Playing for the Syrian national youth team, that is.

"I am very proud and honored to play for the national team," she expressed.

 

'Natural talent'

Results of Syria's ongoing stint in the FIBA U16 Women's Asian Championship 2023 have been far from encouraging, but Almohammad serves one of the few bright spots with her solid play.

Through three games, the 1.71 M (5'7") guard leads her team with 15.7 points - sixth-best in the tilt - on 41.9-percent shooting from the field, alongside 5.3 rebounds and 2.3 assists.

Some would say that experience is a factor behind it. She had already experienced U16 action last year also in Amman, playing a key role in the Syrians' runner-up finish in Division B with 13.0 points, 5.7 boards, and 5.2 boards - all that while being a year younger than most of the field.

Head coach Ricardo Gonzalez Davila, though, knew ever since that Almohammad is a talent of high quality the moment he saw her during his first practice with the national team.

"It is very easy to quickly realize that you have a special player in the team and with enormous natural talent," offered the veteran mentor. "Since my first training session with the National Team in Damascus, Aya already stood out for his conditions and her leadership."

"We are also talking about a player who already stood out a lot in the last U16 Asian Championship, being a year younger and playing in Division B," Davila furthered.

That, plus the desire and work ethic she's been showing makes Davila optimistic of Almohammad's future - in hoops and in life. "Aya is primarily a player who loves to play basketball," he said.

"She always wants to train more and be a better player, and that desire and ambition, added to the talent she possesses, will make her achieve all the challenges she sets for herself."

For the long haul

That's why even if the wins are hard to come by for Syria, Almohammad and her peers aren't bowing their heads. They know that it's beneficial for them in the long run.

"This experience will make us better as individuals and as a team because we are playing versus challenging players in Division A," said the standout from Al Wahda Sports Club.

"We'll be experienced after this tournament and come back stronger," she added.

Coming back stronger is indeed her plan. Though this would be her last time playing for the Syrian U16 team, Almohammad intends to still represent her homeland moving forward.

While there's no question with her talent and the constant pursuit to be the best, Aya knows that she will still have to prove herself worthy of becoming a member of the national squad.

She's in for the challenge.

After all, putting in the work is something Almohammad has been doing ever since she picked up the basketball at a tender age, and chose the game as her way of life.

"Training and putting effort and hard work from a very young age made me who I am today, being a leader and ending up in the national team," she said.

"I will continue this process."

FIBA