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Two young Lebanese women basketball players have traveled to Eskisehir in central Türkiye to train with a Turkish coach they found through social media, hoping to sharpen their skills before their domestic leagues get underway and potentially build toward future careers in Türkiye.
Lebanese national team point guard Mariam Jomaa, 22, and center Razan Thebian, 21, contacted Eskisehir Kaplanlari Sports Club coach Ali Ihsan Kucuk after carrying out an online search for training opportunities in Türkiye.
With about a month left before the start of their leagues in Lebanon, the pair chose Türkiye because of the country's level of basketball competition and set up an intensive training program focusing on athletic performance, shooting, defense, offense, and fundamental skills.
Kucuk said it was the first time players from abroad had contacted him specifically to come to Türkiye and train with him.
According to the coach, the players had looked into training opportunities in Istanbul, Izmir and Eskisehir before settling on Eskisehir, a city they had also researched online.
"They said they had researched coaches in Europe and believed they used different techniques and had strong knowledge. They wanted to come to Türkiye, and after searching online, they found me and said they wanted to work with me," Kucuk said.
The players are following a six-day weekly program, with daily sessions lasting around two to two and a half hours.
Kucuk said the training had mainly focused on athletic performance, shooting and basic skills, while also bringing in defensive and offensive organization.
He added that he had been impressed by the players' energy, determination and willingness to learn.
Jomaa, who plays for Beirut First Club in the Lebanese Women's Basketball League, said the main aim of the trip was to improve before returning to competition.
"We wanted to train better and improve ourselves. We knew that Türkiye has some of the best basketball leagues, so we decided to come here," she said.
Jomaa said the pair found Kucuk while researching coaches online and contacted him directly before making the trip.
She added that several parts of the training program were new to them and had helped them work on areas they had not previously realized needed attention.
Thebian, who plays for Tadamon Zouk in Lebanon's Women's Basketball Second League, likewise said the training had introduced them to new approaches and that they were pleased with their sessions in Eskisehir.
Both players also indicated that they would be interested in continuing their basketball careers in Türkiye in the future.
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