Ramadan Fasting Doesn't Block Adama Sanogo From Appearing Good And Bringing His Team To Champion Of NCAA 2023

UConn won the 2023 NCAA. (Twitter/@UConnMBB)

JAKARTA - Over the past month, hundreds of the best basketball players in the United States have competed in the men's and women's 2023 NCAA March Madness competition, one of the biggest annual sporting events in America.

Many of them did it while fasting from sunrise to sunset during the month of Ramadan. One of them is Adama Sanogo.

For Adama Sanogo who was born in Mali, a UConn Huskies star player from the University of Connecticut, beating the University of Arkansas a few minutes before breaking the fast, after fasting all day on the first day of Ramadan, is nothing new.

"I've been doing this for a long time. I'm used to it now. I've been doing it since I was in high school," he told CT Insider of the team's dressing room in Las Vegas, as reported by The National News April 6.

"It's obviously important. I believe in my beliefs. As a Muslim, if you're healthy, you have to do it."

Even though it has been 14 hours without water or food passing through his lips, Sanogo scored 18 points on his team's journey to victory 88-65.

Three days later, UConn destroyed Gonzaga University to reach the Final Four competition in Houston, Texas, with Sanogo scoring 10 points.

And, the highlight was UConn's success in winning the NCAA Tournament Final on April 3. Sanogo scored 38 points and 20 rebounds in a win in Final Four over Miami and San Diego State. No player is more dominant in the NCAA Tournament and he, for his own achievements and the team he leads, has always been a UConn legend. Sanogo has averaged 17.2 points and seven rebounds in 39 games this season, shooting 60.6 percent of the pitch.

"He has clearly confirmed himself to the ranks of the greatest great players," said coach DanBaya who praised Sanogo in a press conference after the national championship match, citing CT Insider.

"With all the productivity and back-to-back of First Team All-League, and now, to have a national championship only puts him in one of the most graded programs in college basketball. He is a great player of all time," continued the coach.

Sanogo is not alone. Two other players in the proud UConn men's basketball team, Hassan Diarra and Samson Johnson, also performed fasting as they competed to become national champions.

Kansas State, which reached the last eight of the men's competition before being eliminated last weekend, has two Muslim star players, Abayomi Iyiola and Ish Massoud, among their line-up, and Iyiola who perform Ramadan fasting.

Your 2023 @MFinalFour MOP 💪 #HU5KIES pic.twitter.com/4V1qOnlglR

— UConn Men's Basketball (@UConnMBB) April 4, 2023

These campus stars are not the only athletes who currently combine high-level basketball with fasting from sunrise to sunset.

Separately, scientists say as the body adapts to changes in diet and sleep, its physical and mental effects are expected to be minimal, even for athletes who place great demands on their bodies.

With the 10-day Ramadan on the AD calendar in 2024, next year there will likely be more Muslim athletes fasting while taking part in March Madness. Aly Khalifa, an Egyptian with a height of 210 cm who plays for Charlotte 49ers, will most likely be one of them.

The other is Muzamil 'Zee' Hamoda, a 200cm star player from Bahrain.

This month, Hamoda, who has represented Bahrain at levels under 16 and under 18, played an important role in Utah State's journey throughout the season to achieve the number 1 seed for March Madness.

Although the team was eliminated in the first half, a few days before the start of Ramadan, Hamoda said that in the past, most of the pre-season training was carried out while carrying out Ramadan fasting.

There is one activity, he said, which he is not too looking forward to in plans for next year's match in the March Madness competition.

"Running," he told The National News. "I found that running is the most difficult thing to do when I fast."