30 Jan. 2016 – Hannah Saliba, a Lebanese basketball player who used to play with the women team of Al Riyadi Beirut, is currently in the U.S.A, studying and playing basketball with her college (Saddbleback Gauchos)!
The Lebanese player stands at 6.2 feet and she occupies the forward position. In her latest game in the U.S, Saliba was the best scorer on her team and in the game with 17 points, leading her teammates to a 52-49 win to move up in the standings!
Here is a quick interview with Hannah so see how it is going with her in the States!
First of all Hannah, what is the difference between basketball in the U.S and in Lebanon?
In my opinion, I believe that there is a very big difference between here and Lebanon. In the US they don’t care how old you are it’s all about talent, if you have it you will play. In Lebanon they mainly focused on extremely experienced players and younger players don’t get focused on due to their age which is bad because there are so many young players that can get worked to become something great but coaches don’t take the time to work on them. Another thing is that every year there is a basketball season unlike in lebanon the “Etihad” always has something going on and they can’t let us do the simplest of thing which is just play. The level is so much higher and more fun. I would have to say it is also a lot harder but what makes it fun is that at the end of the day you get rewarded for all the hard work you put in with the team and individually. My expectations this year is that my team and I go to the furthest point we can and hopefully win conference and I get a D1 scholarship to the school I want too.
What are your expectations for the future? Will we see you back in Lebanon or are you staying in the U.S?
After I finish my studies I have not set my mind on what I wanna do or where I want to go but if I still decide to play basketball I would like to play in Europe. Going back to Lebanon hasn’t been an option for me to play because ever since I came back to the states I saw what real basketball is and how things. The only way I would maybe consider basketball is if there is a very very big opportunity that is going to help my father and I.
The post Lebanese Women Basketball – What did former Riyadi Player Hannah Saliba Say about her Career in the U.S? appeared first on Sports 961.