Angelo Kouame

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Angelo Kouame
Angelo Kouame.jpg
Kouame with the Ateneo Blue Eagles in 2018
No. 34 – Ateneo Blue Eagles
PositionCenter
LeagueUAAP
Personal information
Born (1997-12-15) December 15, 1997 (age 24)
Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire
NationalityIvorian / Filipino
Listed height6 ft 10 in (2.08 m)
Listed weight220 lb (100 kg)
Career information
CollegeAteneo de Manila University (2018–present)
Career highlights and awards

Kakou Ange Franck Williams "Angelo" Kouame (born December 15, 1997) is an Ivorian-Filipino[1] college basketball player for the Ateneo Blue Eagles of the University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP).

Early life and career[]

Kouame was born on December 15, 1997,[2] in Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire. He was into football during his childhood until having interest in basketball when he and his younger brother requested their dad for football kits and he was given a basketball jersey instead.[3] When his father died in 2012,[4] he started committing on playing basketball as a means to cope for his loss.[3] Koaume played 3-a-side street basketball with his friends and was part of his high school's basketball team, although he remarked that his stint with his school's team was "not that serious" and involved more "practicing".[4] He moved to the Philippines to study under a student-athlete scholarship with Ateneo de Manila University. Kouame, being a French native speaker, studied for one year at the Multiple Intelligence International School (MIIS) in Quezon City to develop his English speaking skills that would help him be acquainted with Filipino culture prior to attending Ateneo.[3]

College career[]

Kouame was able to connect with the Ateneo Blue Eagles through his Cameroonian friend Aaron Njike who got recruited for a team in the United States. Njike linked Kouame to Ateneo team manager Epok Quimpo for an opportunity to try out for the collegiate side. He was assessed by coaches Yuri Escueta and Tab Baldwin, the latter who was a team consultant for Ateneo at the time. Ateneo decided to have Kouame join the team despite lacking in fundamentals and training. Koaume only learned how to play traditional 5-a-side basketball in the Philippines and had to learn basketball terminologies in English.[4]

Despite being a foreign player, Kouame did not have to fulfill a residency requirement, due to him graduating from MIIS in Quezon City and debuted for the Ateneo Blue Eagles in UAAP Season 81 in 2018.[5] Prior to his UAAP debut, Kouame was part of Glory Be, Ateneo's B team for a year and also featured for the main collegiate team at the SMART City Hoops Basketball Championship, the SMART Breakdown Basketball Invitationals U25 Division, and the FilOil Preseason Cup in 2018.[3]

He helped Ateneo clinch two consecutive titles; in UAAP Season 81 and 82.[6] Following Kouame's granting of Filipino citizenship in May 2021 through a naturalization legislation passed by the Congress, the UAAP board made an agreement that Filipinos who received citizenship through an act of Congress shall still be considered as foreign student athletes (FSAs) in the collegiate league.[7] By May 2021, Koaume has received offers to play for teams in other parts of Asia and in Europe.[8]

National team career[]

Naturalization[]

Kouame has been considered for the Philippine national team as early as 2018, following his stint in the 2018 William Jones Cup in Taiwan with Ateneo. However, Koaume would have to obtain Filipino citizenship to be eligible.[9] He successfully obtained consent from his mother to obtain Filipino citizenship, despite his mother hesitating initially over concerns that he might lose his Ivorian citizenship.[9][10]

The Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas (SBP) in 2020 began to lobby in the Congress for Kouame to be given Filipino citizenship through naturalization following his performance in UAAP Season 82 which would make him eligible to play for the Philippine national team.[11] Koaume was added to the national team's pool for the November 2020 window of the 2021 FIBA Asia Cup qualifiers despite a slim chance for his naturalization process to be completed in time for the Philippines' first match in that window. This was meant to help him get acquainted with the Philippine national team's system.[12] The House of Representatives passed a bill granting Kouame citizenship on February 16, 2021,[13] while the Senate passed its version on March 15.[14] The SBP announced on May 18 that President Rodrigo Duterte had signed Kouame's naturalization bill into law.[1][15]

Philippine national team[]

Kouame eligibility to play for the Philippine national team was confirmed by FIBA in June 2021, a month after he was given Filipino citizenship.[16] He was then included in the Philippines 12-man roster for the third and final round of the 2021 FIBA Asia Cup qualifiers.[17]Kouame debuted for the Philippines in June 16 game against South Korea. The Philippines won 81-78 in that game with Kouame contributing 12 points and 6 rebounds.[18] He also played in the 2020 FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament in Belgrade, Serbia.[19]

References[]

  1. ^ a b "Ange Kouame's naturalization now official". ABS-CBN News. May 18, 2021. Retrieved May 18, 2021.
  2. ^ "Kakou Kouame". Asia Basket. Eurobasket LLC. Retrieved November 15, 2020.
  3. ^ a b c d Banaag, Joseph; Uy, Karl (September 21, 2018). "Under the spotlight: Angelo Kouame". The Guidon. Retrieved November 15, 2020.
  4. ^ a b c Go, Beatrice (October 31, 2018). "How Angelo Kouame took his game from the streets to the Big Dome". Rappler. Retrieved November 15, 2020.
  5. ^ Leongson, Randolph (August 31, 2019). "Eagles team manager says rule cited in Ange Kouame eligibility dispute is outdated". Sports Interactive Network Philippines. Retrieved November 15, 2020.
  6. ^ "Naturalization of Ateneo's Angelo Kouame already in the works". Sun Star Cebu. October 23, 2020. Retrieved November 15, 2020.
  7. ^ Li, Matthew (May 18, 2021). "Naturalized Filipinos by Congress to remain as FSAs in UAAP". Tiebreaker Times. Retrieved May 23, 2021.
  8. ^ Naredo, Camille (May 23, 2021). "Ange Kouame already receiving offers to play overseas". ABS-CBN News. Retrieved May 23, 2021.
  9. ^ a b Li, Matthew (November 28, 2020). "Kouame can't wait to don Gilas' colors: 'I really want to be a part of it'". Tiebreaker Times. Retrieved November 28, 2020.
  10. ^ Li, Matthew (May 23, 2021). "Ange Kouame's mom in Ivory Coast celebrates son's naturalization". Tiebreaker Times. Retrieved May 23, 2021.
  11. ^ "SBP taps Ange Kouame to be part of Gilas naturalized players". Daily Guardian. January 22, 2020. Retrieved November 15, 2020.
  12. ^ Li, Matthew (November 14, 2020). "Gilas ready to go all-Filipino if Kouame's papers don't make it for Manama bubble". Tiebreaker Times. Retrieved November 15, 2020.
  13. ^ Galvez, Waylon (February 16, 2021). "Congress approves Kouame naturalization papers". Manila Bulletin. Retrieved May 18, 2021.
  14. ^ "Senate allows 2 naturalized athletes to play for PH flag". Philippine News Agency. March 15, 2021. Retrieved May 18, 2021.
  15. ^ "AN ACT GRANTING PHILIPPINE CITIZENSHIP TO KAKOU ANGE FRANCK WILLIAMS KOUAME". act No. RA-11543 of May 18, 2021 (PDF). Republic of the Philippines, Congress of the Philippines, Metro Manila, Eighteenth Congress, Second Regular Session.
  16. ^ Leyba, Olmin (June 13, 2021). "Kouame gets FIBA green light". The Philippine Star. Retrieved June 19, 2021.
  17. ^ "Kai Sotto, Angelo Kouame headline 12-man lineup for FIBA Asia Cup Qualifiers". GMA News Online. June 15, 2021. Retrieved June 19, 2021.
  18. ^ Terrado, Jonas (June 17, 2021). "Kouame admits Korea match 'toughest game of my career'". Manila Bulletin. Retrieved June 19, 2021.
  19. ^ Lozada, Bong (July 1, 2021). "Tough battle vs Marjanovic learning experience for Kouame". Philippine Daily Inquirer. Retrieved July 4, 2021.
Retrieved from ""