Sergeant plays hoops in Qatar

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Amber Carter
  • 60th Air Mobility Wing Public Affairs
After a seven-month deployment to Bagram Air Base, Afghanistan, working with the medical group, Staff Sgt. Paris Cunningham, 60th Medical Support Squadron medical logistics technician, currently stationed at Travis Air Force Base, California, spent a week as a transient at Al Udeid Air Base, Qatar, on her way back.

During that week, she was given the opportunity to volunteer as a basketball player in a competition against the Qatari women's basketball team.

"I knew someone associated with the team and I was at the right place at the right time," Cunnigham said. "We were the Al Udeid Air Base Women's Team and our motto was 'Just do it.' "

The games were set up as a bracket competition with a double elimination. Melissa James, the Al Udeid Air Base women's team coach, helped lead Cunningham's team to victory.

"Our players knew their strengths and weaknesses, so we listened to them," James said. "Staff Sgt. Cunningham is an excellent point guard, so she controlled the pace of the game very effectively. Her use of fast breaks and aggressive defense proved unstoppable."

Establishing and constructing relationships with other countries is important part of military service.

"This is a unique opportunity to build the bridge between Qatari women and American women," James said. "Typically, there are few chances where we can meet each other. This tournament brought together two different cultures for a fun sporting event. It enabled these young military members to have an opportunity to be ambassadors of our country. Basketball did that. I think that's amazing."

Cunningham has served six and a half years in the Air Force with three deployments under her belt. Following in her father's footsteps as a basketball player, she has played basketball since she was old enough to hold the ball.

"I played when I was little, in high school, in college and I've played on every base team since I joined," Cunningham said. "Being able to play with a different group of people was a brand new experience. You think about how things are different in other countries when compared to the United States but they pretty much do everything that we do."

A cultural difference that Cunningham noticed was that the supporters of the Qatari team didn't wear team colors like Americans typically do to support their team.

"When you go to a Golden State Warriors game, you wear their colors," she said. "They played in their burkas (the traditional full-body cover worn by many Muslim women) with most of their body completely concealed and the supporters in the stands did the same."

After winning the competition, James' team was given medals, but they also took home a story about an experience that few get to have.

"My favorite part of the event was watching the players build friendships with each other," James said. "Most of them were strangers prior to the tournament, but (towards the end), they were laughing like old friends."

The Air Force affords Airmen opportunities to which many people are not privy. Cunningham offers advice to any Airmen who are given the chance to do something different.

"If I would've said 'no,' I would've missed out on the experience," she said. "I'll probably never have this opportunity again. If you are given an opportunity, take it."