Charismatic athlete Fatima Reyadh made Bahrain sporting history last night by stepping out as the first woman to coach a men’s senior side in a top flight fixture of any discipline.
The assistant coach for Al Najma Club took charge in a match against Manama Club in the Zain Bahrain Basketball League after head coach Raoof Abbas Hubail tested positive for Covid-19.
Already acclaimed as the only female assistant coach for men’s teams in any national sports league, she took her new interim role in her stride to the cheers of fans, in the stadium and at home.
“My six-year-old daughter, Huma, is cheering me from home,” said the 33-year-old single mother and role model, whose day job is an official at the General Sports Authority.
“I wanted her to be at my side for this historic moment, but she had school work to attend to. It’s a tough match against Manama, one of the best teams in the country, and we had to be ready for the action as well as showing our support to Raoof who will, hopefully, be back with us after self-isolation.”
In the game, played at the Zain Basketball Arena in Um Al Hassam, Najma went down 109-81 to Manama.
Local sports analysts suggest that Hubail could one day secure a senior coaching post with the national team and Reyadh would make an ideal candidate to take over the reins.
“My twin brother, Ali, who is a drag racer, always tells me that he believes my dream is to be the head coach of the national team, even if I won’t admit it! However, I much prefer dealing with raw material and helping turn that talent into a true professional … but who knows what might happen in the future?
“When I came to the men’s team, I thought they were offering me a job with the U17 and U21 boys, but it turned out I was being seen as a suitable ‘number two’ for the senior team,” she explained.
“That position is challenging in its own right. Hopefully, in the future, more women will be offered opportunities in similar roles, if not better.”
Sport is in Reyadh’s blood, having watched her mother Sameera Assiri successfully coach the ladies national team when she was a child.
From 2016 to 2019, Reyadh was the assistant coach for the national women’s basketball team. In between that time, she was also the assistant coach for the women’s national team’s 3-on-3, the assistant coach for the Al Hala Basketball Club Men’s U18 and U21 sides, the head coach for the Isa Town Basketball Club Ladies and the coach for the Ministry of Education – Basketball School Academies. In 2021, she was also the assistant coach of Ahli Club’s Men’s U18 and U21. And, Reyadh was also part of the first national swimming team and has a black belt in Taekwondo.
mohammed@gdn.com.bh
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