INDIANAPOLIS (USA) – Fatou Babou Diagne is an inspiration to many a young girl in Senegal and across Africa. She has curved her career to exhibit that one can play basketball at the highest level and also attain an education.
The 24-year old forward graduated last month in the Class of 2020 with a Degree in Sociology minoring in Organisation Leadership and African American Studies at Purdue University becoming the first girl ever from the SEED Academy to obtain a college degree.
Her journey has been one of hard work, commitment and resilience in the midst of challenges that almost deterred her from achieving this objective and she is using her story to encourage other young girls that impossible is nothing.
“SINCE I WAS YOUNG, I ALWAYS WANTED TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE. I USED TO HEAR A LOT OF RUMOURS THAT GIRLS CANNOT MAKE IT LIKE BOYS. I NEVER BELIEVED THAT SENTENCE BECAUSE THE ONLY THING THAT CAN TAKE A PERSON TO ACHIEVE A HIGH LEVEL IS WORKING HARD.”
At 14, Diagne was a very shy girl who was bullied for being “very tall” and she was nicknamed “Zik” after her very tall and skinny Professor back in Thies where she was born.
Narrating her story to FIBA.basketball, Diagne who now stands at 1.95m (6ft5in) said, “My journey has been tough, hard, passionate and lovely. Coming to the United States, I did not know what I was facing at the beginning. I have learned a lot through my journey. I realised I was not tough enough to fight my shyness. I had to be healthier to compete at the highest level.”
“Therefore, I had to change my mentality to fight and work harder to achieve my goals. My goals were to come to the United States and play at the highest level but the most important one was to get an education. I learned how to be more responsible, make the right decisions and lead the way for the young girls who play basketball back home.”
“Being part of the first generation of SEED girls helped me realise how my life can impact other young Senegalese girls who want to be in my place. I was blessed to be part of a program that allows me to know myself as a leader and a role model. All those facts helped me to keep fighting to show young Senegalese girls that they can associate school and basketball.”
Founded in 1998 by Amadou Gallo Fall, the Basketball Africa League President and NBA Africa Managing Director, the SEED Project (Sports for Education and Economic Development) has seen hundreds of youth attain education and in 2013, they started the SEED Girls Project which Diagne was a part of.
“Balancing basketball and school as a student-athlete was a little bit tough. Coming from the SEED Academy, we had learned to develop the skills of time management, which helped me to know how to balance school and basketball. At the Academy, we learnt how to challenge ourselves to reach the highest.”
“When I arrived in the United States, I had a schedule to adapt and learn English. I was fortunate enough to have the right advisors, tutors, teammates and coaches that also helped me along the way. Besides, what helped me is that I knew what I wanted in the first place. Education has been my number one priority, so that helps me to know what I would face and how to achieve it.”
“Since I was young, I always wanted to make a difference. I used to hear a lot of rumours that girls can’t make it like boys. I never believe that sentence because the only thing that can take a person to achieve a high level is to work hard. Therefore, when I mentioned a person, it can be a girl or a boy, so it doesn’t matter. What matters is how tough and smart someone’s mentality is and where he/she wants to go.”
Senegal are the most decorated team in African women’s basketball with 12 [FIBA Women’s ]AfroBasket titles and have over the past four decades produced incredibly talented girls and women playing across the world and mostly in Europe.
For Diagne to join this conversation, she had to leave the comfort of her home in the small village of Pire in Thies to attend the SEED Academy and there she was presented the opportunity to dream big and aim for the sky.
Last summer, she was handed the opportunity to represent Senegal at the FIBA Women’s AfroBasket, a dream come true for her and one that she will never forget seeing as the tournament was played at home in front of her family and childhood friends.
“My favourite part was wearing my country’s jersey which has been a dream for me since I started playing basketball. Having the chance to learn from some of the best players helped me to grow up in a lot of ways,” she reminisced.
“One of my most significant moments was the semi-final, where the coach gave me the chance to show myself and our population’s reaction was unforgettable. Every day during that tournament was unforgotten, which means I will never forget those days.”
“Knowing that I have young people, especially girls, that look up to me as a role model to follow, I could not give up. My dream is not just about me. It is about showing teenagers that they can achieve their dreams no matter what happens. As long as you have the benediction of your parents, nothing can stop someone from reaching their goals if they work hard. When I talk about working hard, I mean doing extra and believing in yourself.”
Diagne protects the ball against Mozambique’s Tamara Seda in the semifinals
Senegal overturned a 16-point deficit at half time to defeat Mozambique 60-57 in the most dramatic tie at the tournament and Diagne’s nine rebounds and seven points off the bench gave her the confidence that one day she will lead the Lionesses to glory.
The final against eventual winners Nigeria was a new low for Diagne and her teammates but she has since told herself that they will bounce back very soon.
“It was a severe loss knowing that all Senegalese people came out to support us that day. We were ready to bring the trophy home, which was our mission and we failed. We did our best, but that was not enough. Nigeria brought their A-game.”
“If we have more time to know each other as players hence more time to regroup as players will allow us to know our abilities and weaknesses. Therefore, it could help us to understand each other and to have better teamwork. With less than two months, we were not allowed to get to know each other enough. It will be useful to focus more on the young generation competing in U16 and U18 because they will be the next to join us. Lastly, I think national team players have to regroup more before some competitions.”
Diagne took more positives from the last [FIBA Women’s] AfroBasket edition and will be prepared to take over the challenge when the senior players decide to call it a day.
“I was born ready! The fact that we were able to play with our role models allowed us to have the chance to know more about what it takes for our young ones to step up. It takes a village to raise a child,” she said.
As the world battles the coronavirus pandemic, Diagne is spending time with her brother’s family in Indianapolis since she failed to get back home to Senegal after borders were closed in March.
“I miss basketball, but I have been training to keep myself in shape. I know that this time helps me to be closer to my family, especially my brother’s family in the US because I did not have a chance to go back home to Senegal.”
Diagne is considered by her coaches and teammates back in Senegal to be the next generation that will lead the Lionesses to glory and she displayed that last summer.
She has already enrolled to study a Masters Degree in Human Resource Management and play another year at Purdue University.
Share your thoughts