Manal Cali

Manal Cali (born 2 February 1986) is a Somali women's basketball player who has played for the women's national team.

Manal Cali
Personal information
Born (1986-02-02) February 2, 1986
NationalitySomali
Listed height6 ft 0 in (1.83 m)
Career information
CollegeTallahassee Community College
WNBA draft2008 / Undrafted
Positioncenter or power forward

Career

Manal Cali was born in Somalia on 2 February 1986 and has three brothers and three sisters.[1][2] She was educated in the United Kingdom at the Northampton School for Girls.[2] Cali attended Tallahassee Community College in the United States and played 13 games for their women's basketball team in the 2006-07 season of the National Junior College Athletic Association's Division I (Panhandle Conference). In her first season she scored eight field goals.[3] She played 28 times for Tallahassee again in the 2007-08 season and holds the college's 9th highest career all-time field goal percentage.[4][2]

Cali attended the University of Montevallo where she studied for a degree with a major in sociology and a minor in German.[2] She played for the Montevallo Falcons basketball team. In the 2008–09 season she played in 28 games, averaging 5.9 points and having the best free throw percentage in the team. She also played in the 2009-10 season.[2] She was eligible for the Women's National Basketball Association draft of 2008 but was not selected.[1]

Cali played for the Somalia women's national basketball team in their first ever match, a 90–24 loss to the Egypt women's national basketball team in the Pan Arab Games at Doha on 8 December 2011.[5][6] She played as a center or power forward and wore number 15.[1] The Somali team trains at the Mogadishu Police Academy. Despite being the second most popular sport in Somalia women's participation in basketball is opposed by some. The women must travel to their training in burkas, playing their games in tracksuits with towels covering their heads.[7] The team has received death threats from Islamic extremist group Al-Shabab.[6] Cali received an award at an event in London organised by the Somali Federation of Sports Associations for her role in the team.[8]

Cali later returned to the United Kingdom and played for Northants Lighting in the 2014–15 and 2015–16 seasons of the English Women's Basketball League Division 2 North Conference.[9][10] The 2014-15 season was the clubs first in competition.[10]

References
  1. "Manal Cali Basketball Player Profile". Euro Basket. Retrieved 13 November 2017.
  2. "Manal Cali". University of Montevallo. Retrieved 13 November 2017.
  3. "Manal Cali 2006-07 - NJCAA Stats". National Junior College Athletic Association. Retrieved 13 November 2017.
  4. "2009-10 TCC Women's Basketball Media Guide". Tallahassee College.
  5. "Somalia National Team News". Afro Basket. Retrieved 13 November 2017.
  6. "Somalia women proud despite heavy defeat". Biyokulule Online. Retrieved 13 November 2017.
  7. Dürr, Benjamin (16 December 2011). "Arab Games: Die mutigen Basketballerinnen aus Somalia". Die Zeit (in German). Retrieved 13 November 2017.
  8. "News: Xaflad looga hadlayay u adeegida danta guud ayaa lagu qabtey magaalada London" (in Somali). Somali Youth Development Organization. Retrieved 13 November 2017.
  9. "Press Release" (PDF). Northants Basketball Club. Retrieved 13 November 2017.
  10. "Northants Basketball Club round-up: Cali and Walton see Lightning to victory". Northampton Chronicle. Retrieved 13 November 2017.
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