Rising star Asma Elbadawi has become an influential voice in the world of sport, taking the challenges she’s faced as a female Muslim basketball player and turning them into worldwide triumphs. She successfully overturned the International Basketball Federation’s ban on religious headgear in professional basketball, using her influence to shatter glass ceilings and fight for female empowerment… READ HERE
Away from the court, Asma’s powerfully written poems are making an impact, too. Belongings, her debut poetry collection, casts a spotlight on inclusivity and identity as she writes candidly about her experience as a Sudanese-British woman, as well as her passion for sport. Here, the basketball-playing poet shares her journey to self-confidence and how she learned to embrace what makes her unique.
‘I choose to cover my body as part of my faith and the hijab is a symbol of my spirituality. I’ve faced challenges and criticism because I wear it, whether I’m playing basketball or reading poetry, but it’s not something I’m willing to compromise on. Why should a head covering stop me from achieving my goals? This is what makes me me.’
‘I started writing poems to make sense of the world. My dual cultural heritage sparked an inner creativity and, despite being dyslexic, it’s empowering to find words that release my emotions. I can turn them into something tangible. Using poetry as a form of self-expression helped me find confidence in staying true to myself, my cultures, my religion and my passion for sport all at once.’