He settled in Canada four years ago and shines in the university league of that country with the Bishop’s Gaiters.
“It was my dream since I was little and my family always supported me in this”says Amaiquén Siciliano about the journey he undertook four years ago, when he finished his secondary studies and boarded the plane to settle 11,000 km from Argentina. The native of Capital is living in Canada, more precisely in Lennoxville, a small district of the city of Sherbrooke, province of Quebec. “Special coats and snow boots are now a regular part of my outfit”comments to describe the climatic conditions of the site that -for organization, infrastructure and tranquility- amazed her and today she feels like home.
The 22-year-old point guard and 1m65 started playing very early, and had his last step in Vélez Sarsfield before emigrating to be part of Bishop’s University. There, not only is she about to finish her academic career, but she also managed to exponentially develop her sporting facet, consecrating herself this season as MVP of her Conference, a decoration that even led her to integrate the Ideal Quintet of the entire country. It is no coincidence that, in her sporadic returns to our League, she has stood out defending the colors of Obras Sanitarias.
From the other hemisphere, Amaiquén answered the CAB Press call to share the most attractive details of his adventure, to which another great value of the Argentine National Team was recently added: Victoria Gauna. “This is Vico’s first year at university, he is adapting wonderfully and he was even among the top five Rookies in the country”, indicates our protagonist about the present of her roots companion. Without further ado, let’s start with the interview where you will learn about the fantastic life of Siciliano.
-You come from a basketball family, right? At what age did you start and what clubs did you play for?
-My whole family is involved with basketball, even my grandmother played, so it was destined. I have three younger brothers playing in Obras, my mom Vanessa, who has her own sportswear brand, and my stepfather, Ariel García, who continues to play in the Federal League with Ramos Mejía at 42 years old. I started basketball at 6 in Harrods, then I went to August 17, I was in Sunderland for a long time and finally in Vélez. Already living in Canada and playing for Bishop’s, every time I came back, I did it for Obras. I was also able to experience that unique feeling of playing with the Argentine jersey, in the youth teams.
How did you get the chance to emigrate? Was it difficult for you to move to the other side of the continent?
-After the 2015 Mexico U16 World Cup and while I was finishing high school, they contacted me, offered me a full scholarship and invited me to visit the university. I loved it from the first day, I signed the agreement and the following year I came to live with a couple who worked at the university and who also hosted Mara Marchizotti when she was here. And of course it was hard for me, in fact, every time I’m in Argentina and I have to leave, I come back crying, but I do it for my future.
-What are the main cultural differences to which you had to adapt?
-It is very easy to adapt because life here is ideal, from cleaning the streets to not worrying while walking alone. Also, I live in a small town where not much happens, the pedestrian always has priority and if you forget your cell phone, you find it in the same place. Actually, it is more difficult for me to get out of the habit of this order when I travel to Argentina… A sensitive issue is racism, you must be careful with what you say; but there is a large percentage of foreigners in my university, they are very open in that sense. And Canadians, compared to us, are colder and more distant: hopefully they’ll shake your hand, much less kiss you, except when you’re with friends or at very formal events.
-There is also the issue of language, right? What can you tell me about customs, climate and food?
-I had a very low level of English, I even took an intensive course to start my studies, but after a month I was already speaking fluently. Recently, we shared a room with Vico (Gauna), and he told me that he heard me speak complete sentences in English while dreaming… (laughs). As for food, almost everything is spread with maple syrup, extracted from the maple tree (whose leaf is the emblem of the country and is represented on its flag), and another traditional dish is poutine, delicious french fries with cheese and sauce. special. The worst thing is the weather: while in summer we have up to 30°, in winter you hit -30°! With the temperature positive, just above 0°, you usually wear shorts, ha.
-What is it like to be a student-athlete and give equal attention to both activities? What plans do you have for the future?
-At the end of the month, I graduate in Marketing and Entrepreneurship. I love the race, you have the freedom to put together your study plan, and if you don’t maintain a good average, you can’t play. I would love to move to Europe, but as long as I don’t have citizenship, I will probably continue in Canada playing and doing a Masters. Its system is planned so that the sports life adapts to the academic one, we modify the training sessions according to the class schedule. When we trained every day at 6:30 am, sometimes I got up late and went out directly in my pajamas, the thing is that that was my outfit for the rest of the day… (laughs). And all of us on the team have our blanket and pillow in the locker room to rest between classes, that’s key, ha.
-Do you remember any anecdote of your life in Canada?
-It was my first game, we were visiting, and I had gone to bed the night before without packing because we left at 11am. I fell asleep, woke up totally desperate, put everything together as I could and ran out while calling the woman of the house where I live to help me. She got off work, picked me up halfway, and I got there a minute before the bus leaves. I almost got killed in my first game at Bishop’s…
-When you talk to me about your university, I imagine the classic American movies…
-Yes, it is as it is… (He laughs). The football guys are the most popular in the place, and then comes the basketball. We get along very well with them and with the men’s basketball team, with whom we travel to games together. I often go to see the football team, and I was even involved with the NFL playoffs and the Super Bowl. But even though we have a very large campus, it is small compared to the rest of the country, I am still surprised when I travel to other really giant ones.
-How is the style of play in the league? And how would you define yours?
-It is similar to the American one: more possessions are played, there are many shots in transition and more is aimed at individual technique. In Argentina it’s more European, more tactical, in fact there I hardly dare to do a step-back to shoot, ha… I think my game is fast and dizzying, I like to run a lot. Thanks to Gonzalo Gómez (NdeR: current DT of Berazategui), in Sunderland, I improved my left hand a lot; and lately I advanced in defense, which was my biggest deficit and today I feel much more comfortable.
-And how would you describe your personality? What are your hobbies?
-On the one hand I am structured, because I need to have all my schedules organized, but I am also quite extroverted, I love hanging out with friends, and I have clothes and toothbrushes everywhere, I live from house to house. I was escaping from the pandemic so as not to be locked up so much, although being with my family I realized how much I missed mom’s food… (Laughs). I’m also the typical person who couldn’t play music at a party: my playlist ranges from something sad, through cumbia and reggaeton, to something in French (you hear a lot here). And during the academic year I can’t watch series, because I’d crash watching it and I wouldn’t study at all.
-Finally, what would you say to Amaiquén who, surely, at some point was afraid to emigrate and fulfill her dream?
-That she doesn’t hesitate to travel because, if her relationships are real, no one will forget her. That was my biggest fear, that they wouldn’t remember me and stop loving me, but I understood that even from a distance, ties can be maintained. Of course I was also afraid of not being able to play at this level, but I adapted, grew and today I dream of being a professional.
