Zamalek SC Basketball


Zamalek Basketball Club also known as Zamalek B.C. or simply as Zamalek SC, is a men's professional basketball club that is based in Giza, Egypt. The basketball team is a part of the Zamalek SC multi-sports club. The club is a founding member and shareholder of the Egyptian Basketball Federation, and competes in the Egyptian Basketball Super League.
Zamalek is regarded as one of the most successful clubs in Egypt history; their squads have won 18 National League championships, including 5-in-a-row. They have played in three different National Leagues since 1937, including the Egyptian Kingdom Basketball League, Egyptian Republic Basketball League, Egyptian Basketball Super League. They have also won 13 National Cup titles, 3 Egyptian Super Cup, 23 Cairo Basketball League, And 1 Basketball Africa League, 1 FIBA Africa League. The club plays domestic home matches in the Abdulrahman Fawzi Hall, Zamalek's supporters are known as White Knights (UWK)|White Knights].
Zamalek is the 1st Egyptian team to participate in the Basketball Africa League, the FIBA Intercontinental Cup and the FIBA Africa Clubs Champions Cup. They have participated in every season of the Egyptian Basketball Super League without interruption since the inception of the league in 1972. They are the most successful Egyptian team in FIBA Africa competitions, being the first ever winner of the 2021 BAL season. They have won the Egyptian Cup, and Egyptian Super Cup the most times as well, and won the Domestic Double 7 Times. They are the only Egyptian team to win the Domestic Triple three times. Zamalek have also been 3 times FABL runners-up, played a total of 5 finals, and have also participated 7 times in the Final Four. The first major achievement of Zamalek in African competitions was their presence in the 1971–72 FIBA African Champions Cup semi-finals, but it was in the 1970s that Zamalek made their biggest mark. They became the First Ever Egyptian club that reached the Final, being runners-up in two consecutive seasons, winning their first Afro League title in 1992, After convincing and winning all matches in the group stage A round-robin tournament in Abdulrahman Fawzi Hall. After Final 1998, Zamalek become the most Egyptian team reached a Final Four in FABL in 6 Times. Most African Team win a Game in Euro League with 3 Game, 1st Game in 1978–79 Against Klosterneuburg, 2nd Game in 1980–81 Vs Porto (basketball)|FC Porto], 3rd Game in 1980–81 Vs Viganello Basket|Viganello].
As parent athletic club was founded in 1911, has kept the team name changing frequently. From 1937 until 1941, it was called Faiez International Sports Club, a.k.a. El Mokhtalat Club. From 1941 to 1952, Farouk I, King of Egypt and Sudan, bestowed the royal sponsorship on the club, and the club name was renamed to Nady Farouk El Awal. Ismail Bak Shirin of Mohammed Ali's family took the post of vice president. From 1952 until present the renamed to Zamalek SC. After the army coup in 1952, the club was renamed Zamalek after the area where the club was situated. The club later moved for the last time to 26 July Street, and occupied an area of 35 acres and hosted 24 different sports.

History

Zamalek in Europe

Zamalek was previously invited to participate in the FIBA European Champions Cup seven times. The first participation was in the 1970–71 season, during which the club faced Real Madrid Baloncesto in the second round of the tournament. The second participation was in the 1974–75 season, during which the club faced Slavia VŠ Praha in the second round of the tournament. The third participation was in the 1975–76 season, during which the club faced PBC Academic in the first round of the tournament. The fourth participation was in the 1978–79 season, with Zamalek in group A, alongside Real Madrid Baloncesto, Budapesti Honvéd SE and Klosterneuburg Dukes, the club came in fourth place in its group after winning one match. The fifth participation was in the 1979–80 season, with Zamalek in group A, alongside KK Bosna Royal and BC Levski Sofia. The sixth participation was in the 1980–81 season, with Zamalek in group A, alongside Real Madrid Baloncesto, AS Viganello Basket and Porto, the club came in third place in its group after winning two matches. The seventh and to date last participation was in the 1981–82 season, with Zamalek in group C, alongside KK Partizan, Slavia VŠ Praha and Eczacıbaşı SK, but Zamalek withdrew from the tournament before playing any match, and here ended Zamalek's journey in Europe.

Basketball Africa League (BAL) Champions

Zamalek won the Egyptian Super League in 2019, its first title in 11 years, to qualify for the inaugural season of the Basketball Africa League, and be the first Egyptian team to participate in Basketball Africa League. In November 2020, Zamalek signed Spanish coach Augustí Julbe as their new head coach. In the 2021 BAL season, Zamalek won its second international title and the first-ever BAL championship after defeating US Monastir in the Finals. Point guard Walter Hodge was named the first-ever MVP while Anas Mahmoud was awarded the Defensive Player of the Year. Another notable team member was 18 year old Mohab Yasser, who started all games.
After winning the league title in the 2020–21 season, defeating Al Ittihad in the finals, Zamalek stood alone as the most successful basketball club in the Egyptian Basketball Super League with a record 15 titles. Zamalek participated in the 2022 FIBA Intercontinental Cup becoming the first Egyptian team to participate in this competition.

Honours

Domestic Competitions

National Championships – Egyptian Super LeagueEgyptian Kingdom Championship
  • : Winners : 1948–49, 1949–50Egyptian Republic Championship
  • '''Egyptian Cup'''

African Competitions

Basketball Africa LeagueFIBA Africa Clubs Champions Cup ''''

Worldwide Competitions

EuroLeague

Regional Competitions

  • '''Cairo League Championship'''

Individual awards

Players

2022 roster

The following is the Zamalek 13-man roster for the 2022 BAL season.

Notable players

Current players
Former players

List of head coaches

The following coaches have held the position of head coach of Zamalek SC basketball team :

Logo and colors

In 1941, the royal emblem of the Kingdom of Egypt and Sudan was the official emblem of the club at the time; when the club's name changed from "El Mokhtalat Club" to "Farouk Club" by royal order from Farouk I. After the revolution of July 23, 1952 on the royal rule in Egypt, the club's name and logo changed; the logo is a mixture of the sporting model and the ancient Egyptian civilization. The logo's main colors express peace and struggle and have not changed since its establishment. The home jersey uses the original Zamalek colours. In the upper half of the logo, the archer that points towards the target appears in a pharaonic uniform as an indication of the common goal between the arrow and Zamalek. Zamalek is famous for the stability of its basic colors, which have not changed throughout the club's history, which extends since 1911, as it is distinguished by the white kits with two parallel red lines in the middle.

Supporters

Zamalek has an Ultras group named the Ultras White Knights that was founded on 17 March 2007 and is known for its pyrotechnic displays. Their motto is "Brotherhood in blood and fans of the free public club". The Zamalek fans have always been supportive of all sports teams of the Zamalek Sporting Club, and the fans of Zamalek were the first to launch the term "Kings of The Halls" in Africa and the Arab world, as the sports teams of Zamalek Sporting Club achieved domestic and international achievements. The fans of Zamalek have always been associated with the sports halls from the 90s until now.