Bana Ali, Who Championed Basketball in Somalia, Dies at 54

Mr. Ali garnered prominence for being a vocal supporter of basketball in Somalia, investing not only his free time but also his own money to ensure the country’s players had their chance on the international stage. A basketball enthusiast and a well-known player in Mogadishu before Somalia’s civil war began, he at various points over the years served as both the secretary general and head of marketing for Somalia’s national basketball team and was also a member of the East and Central Africa’s Inter City Basketball Committee. Mr. Ali was also a member of the Africa department of the International Basketball Federation, or FIBA Africa, which is part of the world governing body, FIBA, for the sport. Just this year, FIBA Africa said that Mr. Ali had for the first time helped attain corporate sponsorship for the Somali men’s senior national team, enabling it to travel to Kenya and participate in the FIBA AfroBasket 2021 pre-qualifiers.

Article source: https://www.nytimes.com/2020/05/05/obituaries/bana-ali-dead-coronavirus.html