Basil Gewargis Hanna or Basil Korkis ( ar, باسل كوركيس ) (born 8 January 1961) is a former
Iraqi international football player of
Assyrian
Assyrian may refer to:
* Assyrian people, the indigenous ethnic group of Mesopotamia.
* Assyria, a major Mesopotamian kingdom and empire.
** Early Assyrian Period
** Old Assyrian Period
** Middle Assyrian Empire
** Neo-Assyrian Empire
* Assyrian ...
descent. Despite having a short career, he is considered to be one of the best players of all time in Iraq, being known for his tenacity and attacking threat.
As a player, Basil took the national team to uncharted territory, where he was part of the Iraqi "golden team" of the 1980s that included
Hussein Saeed
Hussein Saeed Mohammed ( ar, حسين سعيد محمد, born 21 January 1958) is an Iraqi former footballer who played as a forward for the Iraqi Premier League club Al-Talaba and the Iraqi national team and is a former president of the Iraq ...
and
Ahmad Radhi.
Basil is married and they have three daughters together.
Club career
Like all up and coming Iraqi players, "It all started in the streets" as Basil was once quoted.
As a teenager, he played with the youth league team ''Homentmen'', a youth club belonging to ''Nadi Al-Armeni'' (Armenian Club). At the age of 16, he moved on to the club of ''Tammuz'', a Junior team belonging to ''Nadi Al-Athori'', where he caught the eye of the then first division
Al-Amana
Amanat Baghdad Sport Club ( ar, نادي أمانة بغداد الرياضي, lit=Mayoralty of Baghdad) is a football team based in Karkh District, Baghdad, Iraq, that competes in the Iraq Division One, the second tier of Iraqi football. For ...
coach Mustufa Auda. Throughout his youth, Basil points to Zia Isaac as the one who coached him into the player he would become. Basil remained in the
Iraq Super League for all his career, where he went on to play for
Al Shabab and
Al Talaba
Al-Talaba Sports Club ( ar, نادي الطلبة الرياضي, lit=''Students Sports Club'') is an Iraqi sports club based in Al-Rusafa, Baghdad. Its football team competes in the Iraqi Premier League, the top flight of Iraqi football. Fo ...
.
He emigrated to Canada, where he played as an amateur with Nineveh Star from 1992. In 1995, he joined semi-professional club Scarborough Astros of the Canadian National Soccer League, helping them to the Ontario Cup Final losing on penalties to St.Catharines Roma Wolves.
International goals
''Scores and results list Iraq's goal tally first.''
References
External links
*
Interview with Basil Gorgis
{{DEFAULTSORT:Gorgis, Basil
1961 births
Living people
Iraqi footballers
Iraqi expatriate footballers
Iraq international footballers
Association football midfielders
1986 FIFA World Cup players
Footballers at the 1988 Summer Olympics
Olympic footballers of Iraq
Iraqi Assyrian people
People from Ankawa
Canadian people of Assyrian descent
Amanat Baghdad players
Iraqi Christians
Iraqi emigrants to Canada
Canadian Christians
North York Astros players
Canadian National Soccer League players
Expatriate soccer players in Canada
Iraqi expatriate sportspeople in Canada
Assyrian footballers