禁漫天堂

Hello all Expats,

I am an American hailing from Portland OR and have been in Kuwait since August (2016). Playing basketball is the best way I know to stay healthy and make new friends, both things I need to do while living in Kuwait to stay sane. But alas, finding a good game here is a challenge, basketball obviously takes a backseat to soccer in this country, and threads related to basketball on this site are all outdated. So I am taking it upon myself to form a new and improved 2016 Kuwait Basketball thread.

I am coming to realize that playing indoors will probably be out of reach, but if you know of a good gym please post about it here. Thankfully the weather is only going to get better (or so I have been told...) for outdoor basketball as we approach winter. So, I would like to try and organize a group to play at the Marina Mall courts in Salmiya at least once a week. These are the only suitable courts I have found in this city. If you have not been, you should know that the courts are a little slippery, but well lit, well maintained and easy to get to via the 66 or 999 bus. There are three full courts, all with the good spring-loaded rims, chain nets, and a drinking fountain very close by. The park surrounding the courts is also worth checking out, with great picnicking and beach views.

I realize that we all have different schedules, so really any day of the week, or time of day, that works best for the most people is fine with me. From my experience weekends at the courts are insane and should be avoided. There are too many other events going on, with kids running all over the court and skateboarders taking over. Also, I have found that arriving at the court as soon as the sun goes behind the trees, about 4:30 now, is the best time to claim a court. They fill up quickly. So as far as days and times go, I feel that Tuesday or Wednesday night around 5 would work the best. Breaking the week right in the middle with a little exercise sounds perfect.

Like my original "basketball" post explains, I am not impressed with the style and format of play that I find at the Marina now, and believe that organizing an email group would be the best way to get good games going with like-minded players. Western style format is desired. For example: quick competitive games played to 11 or 15 points by 1's and 2's, offense calling fouls, half-court for 4-on-4 or less, full court for 5-on-5. Nothing is set in stone of course, always open for ideas.

I have been playing at the Marina once a week and will continue to do so regardless of who joins me, but would love to form an email chain so I know what to expect when I trek over there. Anyone AT ALL interested in joining such a group please please please post on this thread with your ideas so we can keep the conversation going. I want to start a group email list as soon as possible that could be used to confirm days of play and keep everyone that is interested in the loop. So, send me a message containing your email address and I'll start sending out those emails ASAP, we could be playing tonight!

Didn't mean for this post to turn out so lengthy...

-Jack Hollowell
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