I have always enjoyed
playing and watching sports. I
think that sports are a large part of many people's lives because they provide enjoyment, a way to
release stress, and a way to temporarily escape from problems by
getting lost in the heat of competition.
Sports have the power to be an avenue for progress in countries around
the globe because they teach people very valuable life lessons while also
giving them a constructive direction for their life. This idea is central to the organization called “Right to
Play,” who uses the power of sports to work with children in developing
countries to teach them valuable skills such as AIDS prevention and dedication
to education. I am considering an
opportunity that I have received from this organization to be an intern with
them this summer, and so I am a big proponent of their work. You should learn more about their
efforts in Mali if you are interested at the following site http://www.righttoplay.com/usa/our-impact/Pages/Countries/Mali.aspx.
I will now discuss what the athletic culture is like in Mali.
Children playing "over-under" in a Right To Play program.
Mali’s most popular sport is soccer, and if you
travel to any neighborhood in each of Mali’s major towns, you will find that
the neighborhood has their own competitive, organized soccer team that schedules games against other teams. Mali has produced many
talented soccer players over the course of history out of these teams, some of who transitioned from
Malian clubs to compete in the most prestigious leagues in Europe. Malians have played on prominent teams
such as Real Madrid, FC Barcelona, and FC Seville. In 2002, Mali even hosted the prestigious
African Cup of Nations tournament at 3 different stadiums, one of which was their
biggest stadium called Stade Modibo Keito in Bamako, Mali's capital city. The passion for soccer and development of skills in Mali starts at a young age as Malian children spend a great deal of their time playing soccer in unpaved streets with bunched up cloth as a ball.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Mali_football.jpg
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Stade_modibo_keita.jpg
http://www.soccergamblers.com/caf-mali-soccer-betting.html
Wrestling is also a very popular sport
in Mali, as is true for most sub-Saharan African countries. According to the Britannica
Encyclopedia, wrestling “matches are festive occasions that are accompanied by
drumming, music, dancing, praise-singing, and the wearing of costumes.” Tales
of wrestling matches have been passed down through generations and comprise a
part of Mali’s cultural and recreational history.
Mali has
made several trips to the summer Olympics, playing in 11 games in total, though
they have never taken home a medal.
In the 2008 most recent Olympics, the Malian women’s basketball team,
taekwondo team, swim team, and track and field teams participated. Upon qualifying for the 2008 Olympics, each member of the women's basketball team received a house and also a monetary payment. In the past Mali has sent boxers to the
Olympics and the men’s soccer team has also participated and faired well. Mali also recently held their own
marathon in their capital city.
The
experience of Mali’s female basketball players is unique because they have had
to overcome great sexism to attain the athletic successes that they have
experienced. For example, many Malian women who try to play basketball are forced to deal with Muslim fathers who forbid them from playing because the
sport requires shorts that are deemed to show too much skin. Malian culture as a whole is very sexist, so any independent
achievements made by women are very noteworthy, even outside of the sports world. Several of the Malian Olympians
have proved their skill by living in the US and playing at universities such as Old Dominon and also
playing in the WNBA. In Mali, there are an
estimated 10,000 women who are gravitating towards basketball, and as
the success of the national women’s basketball team increases hopefully new
players will choose to take up the sport.
There is only one indoor basketball court, however, which is the
National Stadium in Bamak, the capital, but outdoor basketball is becoming more
popular.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/10/sports/olympics/10longman.html?_r=1
Diana Gandega of the Mali women's basketball team playing in the 2008 olympics vs. New Zealand
Overall,
sports represent a powerful vehicle that has the potential to give Mali greater
respect in the outside world and also to forge greater connections with
countries outside Mali’s immediate borders. Furthermore, it is a very progressive tool that women can
use to garner greater freedom and enjoyment in their lives.
Sources:
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/10/sports/olympics/10longman.html
http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/360071/Mali/279099/Sports-and-recreation
