El Khatib, Thirdy, Creek, and others finding ways to stay active through tough times

BANGKOK (Thailand) - The current situation is a unique situation for everyone. We’re all used to going outside, heading to basketball courts,  watching basketball games, or just meeting with our friends to talk basketball.

However, the current circumstances have placed us at a safe distance away from each other and away from basketball with maintaining everyone’s health as a priority. While the situation is not ideal, we’re all trying to find ways to stay productive and keep up the spirit of our sport alive.

Everyone has their own unique way of passing the time, and here are examples from some familiar faces in Asia and Oceania.

Staying In Shape

For basketball players, it’s important to stay in shape during these times so that whenever the action resumes, they will be ready to jump right back onto the court. There are some difficulties accessing courts if you don’t own one at home, but there are some alternatives to stay at the top of your game.

Jordan’s Mahmoud Abdeen showed off a couple of drills on his Instagram account that you can do right in your living room with a basketball. You might have to warn your downstairs neighbors, though!

 

Asia Cup 2017 champion Mitch Creek is also staying fit in isolation. He also emphasizes the importance of staying sanitized during workouts. Better safe than sorry, right?

 

Maybe you also want to sharpen your skills as well, aside from maintaining the condition? You can trust that Yuki Miyazawa and her teammates from the perennial Japan women’s basketball contenders JX-Enos Sunflowers have some tips that’ll do the trick.

 

It’s not just the players either! Saudi Arabian referee Awad Al-Khubeiri has a personal training set up he goes through to make sure he’ll be able to keep up with the speed of the game whenever the time calls.

 

If you feel that these workouts might seem a bit lonely, India women’s national team player Shireen Vijay Limaye shows that she goes through her daily exercises with a special someone. The best part of it all is that they are both enjoying it!

 

Of course, if all of that physical activity has you tired, you can always sit back, relax, and be a student of the game. Philippines basketball legend Jimmy Alapag talked with FIBA Asia Cup in a live interview on Instagram, urging aspiring youngsters that this is the perfect time to go through game tapes of your favorite players and teams to better yourselves as players.

Having fun

Staying physically healthy is important, but staying mentally healthy is just as important. These might be some stressful times, which is why it is highly advised to remember to find a way to have fun. These guys have it figured out.

 

To be fair, this seems more like Japan’s Ryan Rossiter is trying to stay in shape with the #aerobicschallenge. But he looks like he’s having a whole lot of fun with it and we’re all certainly having a lot of fun watching him do it so he’ll fit well in this category.

Don’t question his choice of fashion. He’s just ahead of the curve.

Another playing showcasing his moves during these times is the breakout star of the Asia Cup Qualifiers, Thirdy Ravena. He showed some promising footwork on the hardwood early in February, and now he’s showing that it translates on to the dance floor.

 

Speaking of dancing, a large number of players have flocked to the popular social media platform of TikTok to entertain themselves. We might be used to seeing Ali Haidar as a beast in the post; he’s been showing off a lighter version of himself on TikTok.

Not to be outdone by his teammate, Wael Arakji is also showing off his comedic chops.

Because some of us are not born with the moves to pull off what those mentioned above can, you can always sing your way through these times. When you can do that with your friends and send a positive message to the community around you like what LA Tenorio and some of his Gilas friends have done, just do it.

 

A lot of us are spending a lot of time inside with our families and loved ones right now, so we might as well get everyone involved in the fun. Qatar’s youth national team assistant Mohammad Orabi is not only getting in some basketball time for himself, but he also has his kids playing along.

 

You can always keep it simple and have fun by just playing video games as Iran’s Arsalan Kazemi revealed during his live interview with the @FIBAAsiaCup Instagram account. Kazemi also mentioned that he’s sharpening his mind in a more traditional way by completing a 1,500-piece puzzle during these times inside.

Some of the players are even learning the ropes of - and nailing - the showbiz industry. Going Live on Instagram has been a popular trend during this period, and Jordan’s Ahmed Hamarsheh has turned his personal account into a must-watch show with an impressive list of guests on every session.

Of course, it’s always fun to get everyone involved. While we can’t gather for even a simple game of basketball on the same court right now, these ballers from various countries both women and men have found a way to pass the leather around and feel connected.

 

  

Feel free to keep this going. Pass the ball (and the positivity) all around Asia!

Giving back to society

Again, these are tough times for everyone. So if you have the resources, it’s always great to reach out and provide a helping hand to those in need. We’re sure everyone is doing their part in their own capacities, and these are just some notable figures that are also doing what they can.

Lebanon legend Fadi El Khatib helped launch a campaign called 10452 with the Banin Charity Association; this is committed to helping families through these challenging times. The name of the campaign is not only the same number as the area size of the country, but it is also the number of families that the campaign is determined to reach out to aid.

 

Meanwhile, Indonesia basketball is doing its part to help out those affected by the situation through BenihBaik.com. Fans can auction for game-worn jerseys of Timnas layers on the @Official_TimnasBasket Instagram account where the earnings are distributed to BenihBaik.com. The first jersey auctioned was from sharpshooter Andakara Prastawa which went for a total of IR 10,000,000. The next jersey from veteran Arki Wisnu is already up for grabs for a good cause.

 

Nipondh Chavalitmontien, President of the Basketball Sports Association of Thailand (BSAT), has also been active in the cause of getting everyone through the times. With cooperation from Hi-Tech Apparel, BSAT has helped to produce a mass amount of hygienic masks for distribution to the Sports Authority of Thailand (SAT), Ministry of Tourism and Sports (MOTS), as well as multiple other basketball clubs and academies throughout Thailand.

 

We are all in similar situations during these tough times all over the world. If you are struggling to figure out what to do, take some inspiration from someone (or everyone!) listed above, and we can help get each other through this safe and sound.

FIBA