What was your background before arriving in the Landes and at Tursan Basket?
I was trained in Tunisia, at the Club Africain. There, I went through the national youth teams and took part in the U16 African Nations Championship in Madagascar. Then, when I was 19, I had the opportunity to come and play and continue my studies in France, in Staps (Sciences and techniques of physical and sports activities), in Besançon. I did two years there and then I left for La Roche Vendée Basket. Finally, I landed here, in the Landes.
At the end of the summer, you started preparing for the championship with HDC. Why did the project with the Doazit team fail?
I started the preparation with the HDC and everything was going well, until a week before the start of the championship. There, I am told that the club has made some kind of administrative error. Basically, they recruited another player with a foreign license without knowing it, so there were three foreigners for two places… I was offered to alternate matches with the other two players but I refused and I I made the choice to leave.
“The goal is to win two or even three more games, to confirm the maintenance”
How do you feel after more than half of the season spent with Tursan Basket?
I feel good in the group, I was well received, the players and the coach are really nice. And the leaders do everything so that I can play in the best conditions. Beyond the athlete, it’s a second family for me.
Your team remains on a single victory in the last four games. How does the group feel in this final stretch of the championship and what are your objectives for the end of the season?
Despite the recent defeats, we are still confident to aim for our maintenance objective. The goal is to win two or even three more games, to confirm the maintenance.
“Of course it won’t be easy but I still believe we can steal the game”
Personally, what were your expectations when you arrived in the Landes?
One of my goals has been achieved. I also came to pass a BPJEPS (professional certificate for youth, popular education and sport) basketball and I got it! Professionally, I also found a permanent contract as an educator in the area, so that’s good. Sportingly, I always try to find projects that can still help me progress as a player.
A word about the huge game that awaits you this weekend with the reception of Toac (Toulouse), second. How do you approach this meeting?
The Toac is a big formation. Of course it won’t be easy but I still believe that we can steal the game. We have already done it against big teams, like Coteaux du Luy at home (84-73), so nothing is impossible.
