Raised 80 meters from the Hall de la Poste, the historic lair of the SIG in Illkirch-Graffenstaden, Nadir Hifi cut ties with its native Alsace a long time ago. For more than five years in fact.
Shunned by the Strasbourg club, which never opened the doors of its training center to him despite eleven years spent in the fold of the SIG (the reasons detailed here), the future international left to build himself elsewhere, first at the Portel training center then at Paris Basketball, where he became one of the biggest current stars of French basketball.
Which obviously does not prevent him from retaining some ties with Bas-Rhin, where his family still lives. Taking advantage of a break of a few days in November, he was also seen in the stands of the Sept-Arpents of Souffelweyersheim (where he had tested for a few weeks during his youth) for an NM2 derby between ASA Souffelweyersheim and Holtzheim.
Author of a formidable year 2025, with the title of 2025 French champion as its apotheosis, the best hope in the EuroLeague was honored by sports journalists from his native region.
“It shows that I represent the Alsatian people well”
He was thus elected Alsatian champion of the year, in the “ambassador” category, that is to say those who have gone to work far from the Alsatian borders. Hifi is ahead of ex-handball player Cléopâtre Darleux by a head (104 points, compared to 99), who left Metz for a royal season: champion of France, MVP of the championship and qualified for the MVP of the Final Four of the Champions League.
“Honestly, I didn’t think I would feel so appreciated in Alsace, I must admit”admitted Nadir Hifi in the columns of Latest News from Alsace, he who surely had the whistles of Rhénus against him as his only reference. « So, to learn that I was distinguished, it really makes me very happy! It shows that I represent the Alsatian people well, who have a lot of love for basketball. There is really a great basketball culture in Alsace. It is a great pride that people voted for me and an honor to have been elected ambassador of Alsatian sport. »
