Jeunesse Sportive Kairouan, also known as JS Kairouan or Chabiba , is a Tunisian professional basketball club from Kairouan. The club competes in the Championnat National A, the highest league in Tunisian basketball.[1] Kairouan has won the league three times, with three consecutive titles in 2001, 2002 and 2003.
Although this section has existed since 1962, it only began to make a name for itself starting in 1985. Before that, it was part of the lower divisions and often failed to complete the season. In the 1985–1986 season, the team won the second division championship but failed in the promotion playoffs.
The club’s leadership decided to focus more seriously on the discipline and brought in specialized coaches: Habib Belhassen followed by Abdessattar Elloumi. This allowed the club to reach the top tier for the first time in 1989. The team’s first experience in the first division was difficult, and the squad — which included players such as Ahmed Kéfi, Moncef Aininou, and Ali Zaïri — was relegated to the honor division. A year later, it regained its place, and the section, led by Mohamed Atallah and then by Moncef Chemli, continued to progress, improving its standings year after year as basketball became increasingly established in Kairouan.
In 1995, the cadet team became champions of Tunisia, while the under-13s won the cup in 1999 and 2001. The first major achievement at senior level came with the team’s first national championship win in 2001, thanks to a group of high-level players such as Radhouane Slimane, Atef Maoua, and Walid Dhouibi. That title was followed by others, including a double in 2002 and a Maghreb championship won in 2003. In October 2005, JSK won the Tunisian Super Cup final against Union Sportive Monastirienne at the Sousse sports hall.
On March 26, 2003, Jeunesse Sportive Kairouanaise won the Maghreb Championship held at the Ibn Yassine hall in Rabat, after defeating Widad Adabi Boufarik in the final (67–55).
In 2013, Jeunesse Sportive Kairouanaise lost the Federation Cup final against Club Athlétique Bizertin (77–87). In 2015, JSK won the Federation Cup by defeating Stade Nabeulien in the final.
During the first edition of the AfroLeague in 2019 (the former name of the FIBA Africa Clubs Champions Cup), Jeunesse Sportive Kairouanaise finished third in the qualifying tournament and second in its group during the final phase. In the quarterfinals, they defeated Étoile Sportive de Radès (68–67 in Kairouan and 74–73 in Radès). JSK was eliminated in the semifinals by Association Sportive de Salé (81–73) and lost the third-place match against Smouha SC (58–69).
Ahmed Dhif was the tournament’s best passer with an average of 5.7 assists per game and had the third-best free throw percentage (80%). Lawrence Gilbert Jr., selected for the tournament's second team, was the fourth-best scorer with 17.4 points per game. Maodo Nguirane, also selected for the second team, was the second-best rebounder with 11.1 rebounds per game, the most efficient player, and had the most double-doubles (four in total). Jawhar Jaouadi had the fifth-best free throw percentage (79.2%).
The basketball section of the club is widely recognized as one of Tunisia’s and Africa’s pillars in fast-paced, high-intensity basketball. Known for its dynamic style of play and emphasis on athleticism and speed, the team has consistently produced top-tier homegrown talent that often rivals foreign imports in both skill and impact. Despite operating on a very limited budget, the team has earned a strong reputation for being one of the most entertaining sides on the continent, admired for its commitment to developing local players and its exciting brand of basketball.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply. Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.
