HOW ABADA BECAME ONE OF AFRICA'S FINEST GUARDS

Omar Abada has become one of the best-known point guards on the continent of Africa in recent years, but he came a long way to be in the position that he is now. Indeed, Abada got used to rising to the occasion when it matters, but how did Abada become one of Africa’s finest guards?

 A quick look back at recent Africa’s major tournaments, and it becomes impossible to miss Abada’s presence: Be it for his vocal leadership on the basketball court; his ability to read his opponents’ weaknesses; his flawless offensive game, which has reached another level, and, more importantly, his presence on the podium.

 From the inaugural Basketball Africa League (BAL) to the latest edition of AfroBasket, Abada’s talent was acknowledged by individual and collective awards. Abada was named to the All-Star teams of both BAL and AfroBasket 2021, two competitions played three months apart at Kigali Arena in Rwanda.

The 28-year-old point guard has become a vital piece not only for his national team, which he helped to the crown of FIBA AfroBasket 2021 but also for his former team Tunisian champions US Monastir, which he helped to the second-place of the first edition of the BAL in May.

Playing alongside some of Africa’s top players – Salah Mejri, Makram Ben Romdhane, and Michael Roll – and being coached by the likes of Adel Tlatli, Mario Palma, and Dirk Bauermman, Abada insists, “made me a better player.”

The 6’2 point guard has had some jaw-dropping performances in the early days of his career with his local club Etoile Sportive Rades, and it came as no surprise that his talent was soon validated by call-ups to represent Tunisia youth, national teams.

Abada was only 18 when his country won their first AfroBasket in August 2011 in Madagascar. A month earlier, he was showcasing his talent to the world at the FIBA U19 Basketball World Cup in Riga, Latvia, where he contributed a team-best 11.8 points per game although the Tunisians returned home with five defeats in as many games.

 “It was part of the learning experience,” Ababa recalled in an exclusive interview with THE BAL website.

Was Kigali a bittersweet experience for Abada, who, in May saw his US Monastir finish second before his national team retained the African Championship at the very Kigali Arena?

“The Kigali Arena brings me mixed feelings,” he replied. “We lost the BAL final there, but a few months later I won the AfroBasket. It was hard to come back to the Kigali Arena to compete again, but, fortunately, our national team was experienced enough to overcome our opponents at AfroBasket. I think Tunisia was one of the best teams in the tournament; we played at a very high level and we showed very good basketball.”

Since the BAL, Abada joined Saudi Arabia’s Ittihad Club, but returning for a second BAL experience is something that Abada remains open to.

 “The BAL means a lot to me. It’s a competition where you can show your skills and ability to a wider audience. The BAL is one of the most important competitions around the world in terms of organization and also at basketball level, and I hope to play in the BAL every time the opportunity comes to me.”

Asked about US Monastir’s collapse after reaching the BAL final undefeated in five games, Abada admitted that bad things can happen when you less expect it. 

“We played well throughout the tournament, but in the finals, we faced a very good Zamalek team. Unfortunately, they were better than us on that day, it can happen in the final. It’s a 50-50 game, but this is what basketball is about. We made many defensive mistakes and missed many easy shots. Maybe next time, US Monastir can beat Zamalek.”