June 07, 2023
Page 5
S portS
AfroCan Basketball
Championship Highly
Anticipated
Mt. Hood
Community
College Head
Coach to Lead
Eritrea's National
Basketball Team
Mt. Hood Community College’s
(MHCC) Head Men's Basketball
Coach Alexander Loul Syum, 32,
has been invited to coach Eritrea's
basketball team in the highly an-
ticipated International Basketball
Federation (FIBA) AfroCan bas-
ketball championships. The cham-
pionships will be held in Dar es
Salaam, Tanzania from June 17-23.
The FIBA AfroCan championships
provide a unique opportunity to
showcase the immense talent of
African basketball players on the
continent. This event, organized by
FIBA, is a prequalifier tournament
for various international basket-
ball competitions. As part of Zone
V, which represents East African
countries, Eritrea will be compet-
ing against teams from Burundi,
Egypt, Ethiopia, Rwanda, Uganda,
Somalia, Sudan, South Sudan, and
Tanzania. "We are incredibly proud
of Coach Syum for this remarkable
accomplishment," said Dr. Kim
Hyatt, the dean of health, physical
education, athletics, aquatics, and
recreation at MHCC. "His dedica-
tion, expertise, and commitment
to basketball have been evident
throughout his coaching career.
This opportunity to lead Er-
itrea's national basketball team
is a testament to his exceptional
coaching abilities and the impact
he has made on the sport on an
international scale." Syum, born
in Asmara, Eritrea, is honored to
represent his home country and
support the development of bas-
ketball in Eritrea. Having moved
to Portland at a young age, Syum
returned to Eritrea in 2019 to run
basketball camps. In 2022, he or-
ganized a showcase in Minnesota,
which brought together talented
Eritrean basketball players from
across North America. Five play-
ers from that showcase and seven
other players from Eritrea will
compete in the championships un-
der Syum’s guidance. “Returning
to Eritrea in 2019 was a pivotal
moment for me. It allowed me to
reconnect with my roots and con-
tribute to the progress of basket-
ball in my home country,” Syum
said, “Now, as the head coach of
the Eritrean national team, I am
thrilled to represent and support
Eritrean players in this compe-
tition that is sure to open a lot of
doors for them.” Syum’s passion
for basketball began during his
childhood in the Parkrose School
District in Portland. He played
basketball throughout his educa-
tional journey, earning recognition
as an all-team conference player at
Parkrose High School.
He went on to play at Clacka-
mas Community College and lat-
er received a full scholarship to
Bethany College in Kansas. After
completing his collegiate career,
he transitioned into coaching,
which ultimately led him to his
current position as the head coach
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at Mt. Hood Community College.
“Coaching basketball has been a
true labor of love for me, from
my early coaching experiences
in Oregon to an amazing oppor-
tunity in Singapore that came
about while I was working for
FastBreak, which is a club team,
and enabled me to volunteer and
learn from the Singapore national
team,” Syum explained, “I have
been driven by a desire to help
youth and promote the sport I am
passionate about.”
MHCC congratulates Syum
on his appointment as the head
coach of Eritrea's national bas-
ketball team and wishes him and
the team the best of luck in the
FIBA AfroCan championships.
The college takes pride in its
commitment to fostering talent
and supporting coaches in their Mt. Hood Community College’s (MHCC) Head Men's Basketball
pursuit of excellence
Coach Alexander Loul Syum