Shereif Kholeif
Shereif Kholeif is a lover of all sports. Originally from Egypt, he was born in Saudi Arabia before moving to Scotland. By day, he is a full-time doctor, and in his spare time he has taken on a variety of roles in sport, including coaching, strength and conditioning, and sports management at the University of Glasgow. His ambition is to align his medical career with the field of sports medicine.
Alongside running, cycling, swimming, Muay Thai, CrossFit and lifting, Shereif is the Co-founder and Trustee of Rising Stars, a Glasgow-based charity that uses basketball to support young people from underserved communities. Through his work, he is committed to promoting health, social inclusion and opportunities for the next generation.
Ryze Strength & Conditioning was created to deliver high-quality training and generate sustainable income to finance the Rising Stars charity. Rising Stars harnesses the power of basketball to improve the lives of young people aged 10 to 18 from underserved backgrounds in Glasgow.
The programme delivers after-school sessions by partnering with schools and universities, while also training student coaches to lead weekly activities. Beyond sport, Rising Stars supports academic development through private tuition, provides free equipment to schools, and invites young people to professional basketball games. It also organises regular tournaments to strengthen community spirit and inspire long-term participation.
Since its launch in 2018, the project has reached more than 1,500 young people across 15 primary schools and four high schools. More than 75 coaches have been trained, and many former participants have returned to the programme as coaches themselves, creating a pay-it-forward model that sustains the initiative. Rising Stars is part of FIBA’s global Basketball For Good movement.
SDGs
