Coaches face each other for first time in Friendship Games
Published: June 4, 2007
Coach Chaunchin Song is a college basketball legend in China. Coach Jasmine Samantoura was called the “Greek Goddess” during her 15-year playing career and was the best women's basketball player in her country's history. The two made history together on Monday at the Friendship Games in Tel-Aviv.
Song may have thought she had seen everything in her 30 years as the only woman coach of a men's college basketball team in China, but she saw something new Monday when her Hebei University team faced National Technical University of Athens — a woman head coach on the other bench.
National Tech beat Hebei 46-38 but the story of the game was the two coaches, both the only women coaching men's college teams in their countries, coached in the first game of men's college basketball with women head coaches facing each other.
“This was perfect for the spirit of the Friendship Games and what we are trying to create,” said Ed Peskowitz, who founded the Friendship Games two years ago to bring college teams from around the world to create better understanding in the Middle East. Peskowitz, also co-owner of the Atlanta Hawks of the NBA, said he and the other game organizers had no idea that women were coaches to the two teams, and the two coaches didn't realize it until they showed up for the game on Monday and looked at the other bench.
“We designed the Friendship Games to be inclusive of all races, religions and genders, and we thought that we were doing a good thing by adding six women's teams for the first time this year. However, we didn't know that women would be coaching two of the men's teams. However, this is terrific. These women have their positions the earned them and are very competent coaches.”
Song is the only woman coach in the China University Basketball Association, which is comprised of 700 men's teams.
“Coach Song is very, very well known in China and very well respected by her players,” according to CUBA representative Cao Wen Yuan. “She is truly a legend in our country. She started coaching men 30 years ago when basketball was first emerging in China, and she has continued as one of the top head coaches. For the last ten years she has coached Hebei University, and last year they were in our Final Eight.”
“I coached in the women's professional league for seven years but wanted to coach men because they are faster and higher quality players,” said Samantoura. She holds the scoring and rebounding records for women's basketball in Greece and is well-known in her country as its best female player. “I would have liked to have played against the men when I was younger, but I don't think I could do that anymore. I will make my mark now by coaching them.”
The Friendship Games started on Sunday with 26 college teams from 14 countries competing in Tel-Aviv and touring Israel together.
“I had no idea either team had a woman coach until last night at dinner when I met the coach of Greece,” said Arie Rosenweig, the athletic director at Tel-Aviv University who organized the competition. “I didn't realize that the Chinese team also had a woman as coach until the game started. This is wonderful.”