Union sportive de la médina d'Alger (basketball) (Arabic: الإتحاد الرياضي لمدينة الجزائر لكرة السلة), referred to as USM Alger BK for a short, is a basketball club based in Algiers, Algeria that played in the Algerian Basketball Championship the team founded in 1942.[3]
History
Foundation and early years
USM Alger opened its doors to other sports divisions such as boxing, Basketball and cycling. Activities continue on their way thanks to the dedication of Abdelkader Omrani, Mohamed Abdelhamid and Abdelkader Cherchari. In August 1947, the leaders and members associated with the USM Alger created on the Rue de Beaune, a magnificent physical education room with a basketball court, a ring, equipment, changing rooms, etc. Above, meeting places were created. Club president Mohamed Zenagui stated that l'USMA's projects will not stop there.[4] In 1956, the central management of the National Liberation Front decided to cease all sporting activities of Muslim clubs. A meeting was held at the USMA circle on Rue de Bône to decide on the cessation of football. It was held under the chairmanship of Ali Cherifi, vice-president of USMA and responsible for finances of Zone autonome d'Alger (ZAA). Two of the first officials of ZAA were then part of USMA, It is noteworthy that Muhammad Hattab better known as Habib Reda, who led the bomb network within the autonomous region and was sentenced to death was a basketball player in USM Alger.[5] On January 15, 1957, USM Alger stopped participating in the championships due to the Algerian War, where the French Federation of Basketball announced this in the official newspaper.[6]
USM Alger was the most famous Algerian club basketball after independence, the team won the league title three times, adding the team's arrival two to the Algerian cup final in 1989 and 1996 and the defeat against the best clubs of basketball in Algeria MC Alger and WA Boufarik respectively, the women's team has the completion of the sole title of the Algerian cup in 1986. In the season of 2016–17, the USMA managed to return to the Super division A after he finished first in the playoffs in the group included ESB Ouargla, MC Saida and OS Bordj Bou Arréridj. under the leadership of the young coach Reda Saiak the Red and Black, who finish the tournament at the top of the standings, thus find the elite four years after their relegation.[7][8]
USM Alger returns to the podium
On November 4, 2018, MADAR Holding Company appointed Saïd Allik President of the Club sportif amateur of USM Alger, as the sporting director of CR Belouizdad. Allik received great criticism from the supporters of USM Alger, which was its president for 25 years and demanded him to resign from the presidency of the CSA but he refused.[9] At the end of the elective general assembly held on December 20, 2020, Allik was re-elected as head of the CSA/USMA for another four-year Olympic term. At the end of the previous Olympic mandate, an ordinary general assembly was held, where the moral and financial reports were unanimously adopted. Having thought of leaving the environment, Said Alik was summoned by his athletes, in the different disciplines among them is basketball, to continue his adventure at the head of the amateur sports club of USM Alger.[10] On June 10, 2023, USM Alger achieved a real feat by winning the title of Algerian Basketball Championship, at the Hamou Boutlélis Sports Palace of Oran, after dominating WO Boufarik, during the last match of the playoff tournament, reviving with a trophy having leaked since 1969, For his part the technical director of the capital club Khaled Berkani highlighted this coronation "especially since it put an end to 54 years of scarcity", he said, continuing that "the credit goes to the players and the coach in the first place".[11]
On August 7, 2023, the club sportif amateur (CSA) submitted a notice to deposit a new mark to the Institut national algérien de la propriété industrielle (INAPI) to change the club's logo and remove the symbol of the city of Algiers from the logo in accordance with the decision issued by the court, Saïd Allik president of the CSA filed a complaint against société sportive par actions (SSPA) due to the use of a “fake” logo for USM Alger.[12] USM Alger participated for the first time in the Arab Club Basketball Championship, which was held in Qatar, and the team strengthened its roster with American player George Williams.[13][14] USM Alger reached the quarter-finals, where it was defeated against the Lebanese club Dynamo.[15] On February 5, 2024, the official page of the Algerian Olympic and Sports Committee announced that USM Alger player Faredj Messaoudi had signed a professional contract in the Japanese 3x3 Basketball League, becoming the first Algerian to obtain a professional contract in this sport.[16] On July 17, 2024, USM Alger won the 53rd edition of the Algerian Basketball Cup, beating WO Boufarik, two-time holder of the trophy, with a score of (71-69). The “Rouge et Noir” thus manage to win their first Algerian Basketball Cup in the history, after the failure of their first attempt which dates back to the 1989 edition, lost against MC Alger (66-77).[17]
After 30 years, Saïd Allik leaves CSA
After the withdrawal of Saïd Allik who decided not to run for a new term, Allik has expressed his desire to pass the torch, providing an opportunity for new faces to take the reins of the club, on September 18, 2024, Djabrouni Fouad a member of the Judo Section, was elected as the new president of the CSA/USMA. Djabrouni received 16 votes out of 24 voters, while the other candidate, Khebaz Hamid the treasurer received only 7 votes.[1][2]
Roster (Men)
Note: Flags indicate national team eligibility at FIBA-sanctioned events. Players may hold other non-FIBA nationalities not displayed.
^The Algerian Basketball Federation (FABB) has decided, exceptionally, to cancel the Algerian Cup for the 2021–22 season and replace it with a Coupe fédérale which only concerns the 20 teams in the Super Division.[19]
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