UAE star inspired by Ronaldo turns football trick into basketball world record
Hamed Ali Al Shehhi’s next challenge could involve a blindfold and another backheel attempt
DUBAI – A UAE football freestyle star has added an unusual new achievement to his growing collection of world records, turning a familiar football trick into a basketball feat.
Hamed Ali Al Shehhi, 24, successfully sent a basketball into a hoop with a backheel kick from 12 metres, or 39.37 feet. The achievement, recorded in Ras Al Khaimah on March 14, adds another Guinness World Records title to the Emirati athlete's expanding list of football skills records.
The latest challenge required Al Shehhi to combine the technique and control of football freestyle with the accuracy demanded by basketball. He lifted the ball with his foot, tossed it into position and struck it with his heel, sending it across the court and into the basket from the record distance.
The successful attempt was the result of a skill Al Shehhi had already developed through years of practising football. While distance was an important part of the challenge, accuracy proved to be one of the biggest hurdles, with the ball needing to travel precisely enough to find the relatively small target of a basketball hoop.
Records
Al Shehhi has been building his reputation through a series of football-based Guinness World Records titles. His current achievements include 215 football bounces with the knee in one minute, the fastest 50-metre performance while performing football knee keep-ups in 10.50 seconds and 211 football touches with the knee in one minute while seated.
He also holds the Guinness World Records title for the farthest backheel kick of a football into a basket, with the ball travelling 12 metres, or 39.37 feet.
The Emirati said his motivation came from his passion for football and his desire to formally document a skill he had developed over years of dedication to the sport.
Al Shehhi began developing his football skills as a child and later shared clips of his performances on Instagram. By the time of his latest official attempt, he was already an experienced record holder and had tested the feat several times.
He said he had broken the record multiple times using both a football and a basketball before the official attempt. Finding a court with official dimensions was among the practical challenges before the record could be formally established, while his individual attempts lasted no more than 30 minutes.
Inspired by Ronaldo
For Al Shehhi, the moment the basketball passed through the hoop provided another milestone in a career centred on football freestyle and record-breaking.
The UAE athlete has also identified Cristiano Ronaldo as one of his biggest role models. Ronaldo, a Guinness World Records ICON, has built a career marked by individual records and sporting achievements, qualities that Al Shehhi says have influenced his own approach to competition.
Al Shehhi says Ronaldo's determination to break records inspires him to challenge himself, push his limits and adopt the same mindset in his pursuit of new achievements.
His ambitions extend beyond the latest basketball record. He has already started training for further titles and is planning an attempt at the longest backheel kick of a football into a basket while blindfolded.
The 24-year-old has also set himself a broader target: to collect as many Guinness World Records titles in football skills as possible and eventually become the person with the most records in the discipline worldwide.
Alongside his personal ambitions, Al Shehhi wants his achievements to contribute to the UAE's record-breaking presence in football skills, with the aim of helping the country become the nation with the most Guinness World Records titles in the field.