Omar Shiddo plays for love of the game

April 1, 2022 Facebook Twitter LinkedIn

In Canadian university basketball, there may be no one hotter right now than Western Mustang guard and King’s student-athlete Omar Shiddo, fifth year Criminology student. At the U Sports All-Canadians gala, held on March 31, he received a 2nd team All Canadian award. During the 2021-2022 season, he led all of Canadian university basketball in points per game with 28.2, was ranked by Ontario University Athletics (OUA) as the top scoring player for 2021, and was named a 1^st team All-Star.

Shiddo says basketball is “my getaway, my sanctuary.” His next step is to play basketball overseas and compete at the highest level possible.

“I played university basketball strictly because of my love for the game. Many athletes play sports to receive a scholarship in order to further their education. I further my education to continue playing basketball at a high level while enjoying my studies.”

“My years (as a Mustang and King’s student-athlete) not only built me into the player I am today but more importantly the man I have become. I came here as a young 19-year-old and leave as a well-groomed and experienced 25-year-old,” says Shiddo.

Like all of King’s student-athletes, Shiddo had to put competitive sports on hold as COVID-19 put an end to varsity sports. He admits the inability to play affected his overall morale but “the pandemic has shown me my love for the game of basketball is even stronger than I thought originally. It’s not only important for me to get my fix to fulfill my desire to play but it’s important in how it effects the rest of my life,” he says.

The pandemic wasn’t the only adversity that Shiddo faced. In July 2020, he suffered a personal tragedy: being stabbed in the stomach. He had to step away from the game for a time, undergoing surgery and a lengthy road to recovery. But Shiddo persevered, returned to the game he loves and on November 5, 2021, broke Western’s all-time basketball scoring record.

In speaking about those who have helped him get to this level, Shiddo says he owes his success to “Allah (God) for blessing me with an abundance of talent” and his family, including his parents, Mohamud Shiddo and Muhubo Mohamed, for supporting him and “for giving me all the tools I’ve ever needed to chase my dreams.” He also says his siblings, older brother Ahmed, older sister Asha and younger brother Hassan, all motivate him as much as he, in turn, motivates them.

He is also thankful for the support of all of his coaches, from the early days through high school, who molded him both as a player and a person. Shiddo points to Western Men’s Head Coach Brad Campbell who, he says, “always held me accountable while also allowing me to play my game.”

Shiddo says his studies at King’s have been great. “Kings is perfect for someone like me who loves the smaller classrooms where you’re more than a number,” he says. He says the smaller classes allow students to have a closer working relationship with professors, who are willing to work with students to help them become successful.

“Our student-athletes at King’s continue to shine in the classroom and in high performance sport. The skills and competencies they gain as result of their commitment to their course work and sport will hold them well as advance in their educational and career journeys. We are so proud of all students and our partnership with the Western Mustangs,” says Joe Henry, Dean of Students.