Isra Mohamed, 22, is proving the power of sports to other women in Somali society.

When I step onto the basketball court, I feel my shoulders relax. In that moment, it’s just me, my basketball, and the basket; nothing else matters. When I first started playing in college, at 16, I couldn’t risk losing that feeling, so basketball became my secret.

Growing up in Leicester’s Somali community, Muslim girls like me were encouraged to prioritise our studies over our hobbies. Modesty is also important: we must cover up. For these reasons, older generations are not used to girls playing sports, but my aim is to change that.

My love for basketball blossomed while watching videos of the greats of the sport, such as Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Michael Jordan. I taught myself the rules and practiced with the ball at school. Then, during my open day at university, I practiced shooting with Coach Karl in the gym and he said he saw potential in me. That’s when I signed up for the Gateway College girls’ basketball team.

Soon, I was working on my shooting or post moves whenever I could. When I realized that improving my overall fitness would also improve my game, I started going to the gym. At first, I would tell my mom and dad that I would be staying at school for extra lessons. But as basketball became more of a part of my life, I decided to share my secret. I was relieved, and they were happy that I had found something that I cared about; something that helped me both physically and mentally. I didn’t know it at the time, but my love for the game would become even more public.

I was playing my first post-pandemic season at DeMontfort University in Leicester when my student union announced they were organising a photoshoot featuring just one member of the team to promote our next match, and they asked me. I assumed the photos would be used on the university’s social media page. So when I saw my face on a poster stretching from floor to ceiling on the pitch the following year, I was stunned.

It’s hard to put into words what this means to me. Not only was I the first Muslim girl wearing a hijab to be photographed as the face of my university basketball team, but my photo was hung on the wall for all to see. Knowing what it would have meant to me when I was younger to see a Muslim Somali or a hijab-wearing sister proudly playing sports, it felt meaningful. It made me even more determined to use my voice to teach young Muslim girls that we can play sports, compete, and win.

Now, my friends and family are very happy for me. Girls from my community approach me to ask how I started playing, where they can register, and if we can play together. Not all Somali communities embrace the idea of ​​girls playing sports, but for me, seeing two or three girls having fun (observing the etiquette of modesty – I wear shorts under tights, long-sleeved tops, and a sports headscarf or regular headscarf when I play) is enough to see the freedom and joy it brings us. We are a movement, and this is just the beginning.

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