Zainab Mboob’s love for basketball started as a young person, nevertheless it was her older sister, a world basketball consultant for The Gambia, who first sparked the curiosity.
Growing up in a household the place sports activities had been an integral a part of life, Zainab’s journey into basketball was nearly inevitable.
“My sister was always involved in basketball, and I would go with her to training sessions. Over time, I developed a real passion for the game,” Zainab recollects. “It was my sister who opened my eyes to the world of basketball, and that’s when I decided to pursue it seriously.”
Zainab was raised in a household the place sporting achievements weren’t solely inspired however celebrated. Her mom, a former soccer and basketball participant, additionally performed a major function in shaping Zainab’s profession path.
“My mum was a huge motivator for us. She was both a football and basketball player, and she always encouraged us to pursue sports,” Zainab explains, a smile lighting up her face.
“She particularly encouraged my sisters to take up basketball, and that’s the path I followed.”
Today, Zainab is coaching intensely together with her teammates on the YMCA in preparation for a global competitors in Senegal subsequent month. Representing her nation on the worldwide stage is each a dream and a duty that Zainab takes very significantly. “It’s exciting, of course, but for me, it’s just another opportunity to do what I love. I always knew I would represent my country one day, so I was prepared for it,” she says with a way of willpower.
Despite her rising profile as a younger athlete in a rustic the place girls’s sports activities, significantly basketball, are sometimes underfunded and missed, Zainab stays optimistic. She believes that with higher help and funding, The Gambia’s basketball scene might attain new heights.
“We’re working hard, but there’s still so much more to be done for basketball in our country. We need more organised games and better exposure to higher-level competitions. We need to test ourselves against teams from other countries to improve,” she stresses.
Although girls’s basketball in The Gambia has confronted challenges in gaining the eye it deserves, Zainab’s dedication to the game serves as an inspiration to the subsequent technology of feminine athletes.
“We’re trying our best, but we need more support to help us grow,” she provides. “With the right opportunities, I know we can take the game to another level.”
As Zainab and her teammates put together for his or her upcoming event, her journey is not only concerning the sport – it’s about breaking boundaries, setting an instance, and provoking younger women throughout The Gambia and past to chase their very own desires, irrespective of the obstacles.
With the help of household, a deep love for the sport, and a powerful need to uplift the game in her nation, Zainab Mboob is actually a pressure to be reckoned with on and off the courtroom.
Reporting by Adama Makasuba
Post Views: 5
