Farhiya Abdi First Somali To Be Drafted Into The WNBA.

[Blessed]

How cool is this!

 

 

 

Los Angeles April 18, 2012 (SDN)-Swedish Somali athlete Farhiya Abdi has been drafted by the Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) to join the Los Angeles Sparks in the upcoming season. Farhiya currently plays basketball in the Czech Republic.

 

The up and coming star is 6’2 and is this year’s first pick in the second round. She is also the first Somali woman to join the renowned American WNBA league.

 

The 20 year old Farhiya played professionally for the Czech Republic team Frisco Brno where she scored an average of 29 points and 17 rebounds per game.

 

Farhiya is the youngest of seven children, her mother Saida and her father Ali came to Sweden in the 1980s as refugees.

 

She was named player of the year in 2010 in Sweden before being recruited to play in the Czech Republic for Frisco Brno.

 

Farhiya is joining one of the league’s most dynamic teams and will have to fight for a starting position against veterans Candace Parker, Nicky Anoskie, DeLisha Milton Jones, and newcomers Khadija Rushdan, Tyra White and this year’s first round draft pick Nneka Ogwumike. She is the youngest member of the team and the only one drafted from the European league, the rest of L.A.’s picks are from the U.S. college system.

 

SDN

 

contact@somalidiasporanews.com

[ElPunto]

Nice. You should've made the title first Somali pro basketball player. The ladies have won this crown despite lanky Somali guys obsession with bb-ball.

[Abwaan]

Well done Farhiya. Waa horaan sheegay in sabaankaan gabdhaha Soomaaliyeed wiilasha ka horreeyaan:D

lol El Punto....Obsession muxuu tarayaa, karti iyo natiijo wanaagsan baa lala soo shir tagaa:D

[Blessed]

El Punto, you're right there, I'd also add 'suckers' to rub it some more, but can't edit the title. Yeb, hablahayagu waa heer sare.

[Chimera]

The above is tongue in cheek, however Somali men and women should not be portrayed as rivals or competitors in any shape or form, it's equivalent to splitting up team and then have one half play against the other half in a tournament with hundreds of other unified teams. You only create resentment, and that's counterproductive when the coaches and sponsors of the community are still predominantly male, and potentially road-blocks if they view the female half of the team as a threat, this was never the case in the Old Republic, hence why by every measurement possible Somali women were ahead of the majority of Africa and the Middle East in rights and status.

 

However with this new conservative wave, it's a different story.

[Wadani]

Chimera ur one of my favourite Solers. Im curious though, where u draw the line on ur liberal bent. That is something ive been struggling with recently, as ive gradually become less and less conservative over the years, and fear I may be compromising aspects of my religion or cultural heritage in some ways. I find it to be a very slippery slope, and a central problem faced by many Somalis in general.

[burahadeer]

pretty talented role model for young girls.

[AYOUB]

Wadani;820854 wrote:

Chimera ur one of my favourite Solers. Im curious though, where u draw the line on ur liberal bent. That is something ive been struggling with recently, as ive gradually become less and less conservative over the years, and fear I may be compromising aspects of my religion or cultural heritage in some ways. I find it to be a very slippery slope, and a central problem faced by many Somalis in general.

Quote of the year.

[faarah22]

wow see when positive things happen to somalis. horta why are all somalis called abdi ?? lol

[rudy-Diiriye]

me likes xalimoos from Isviidan!! hola home-gal....i got my eyes on u! lool....ama gonna find this babe-gal...u watch.

[Khalid-Jnr]

I am not that much familiar with WNBA, but if it is half as competitive to get drafted as the NBA, then the Girl's achievement is no mean feat.

 

I understand a Somali girl sporting in shorts may not be to everyones liking , specially patriarchal society like ours, but we should learn to tolerate.

 

Was she on the Somali Women Basketbal team which ended up as runner up (or 3rd place can't remember) in the recent games in Qatar?

[Chimera]

Wadani;820854 wrote:

Chimera ur one of my favourite Solers. Im curious though, where u draw the line on ur liberal bent. That is something ive been struggling with recently, as ive gradually become less and less conservative over the years, and fear I may be compromising aspects of my religion or cultural heritage in some ways. I find it to be a very slippery slope, and a central problem faced by many Somalis in general.

I don't believe in this liberal or rightist nonsense. I believe in the fact that half of my DNA consists of a long line of female ancestors. Somali women are our grandmothers, mothers, sisters, cousins, nieces, daughters, and wives. I personally want the best for them, be it in education, sport or life in general.

[Showqi]

Good luck to the sister.

[Blessed]

Chimera, I agree bro. Being a marginalised community, we do need to work together on many fronts, sadly not everyone agrees.

 

Wadani;820854 wrote:

Chimera ur one of my favourite Solers. Im curious though, where u draw the line on ur liberal bent. That is something ive been struggling with recently, as ive gradually become less and less conservative over the years, and fear I may be compromising aspects of my religion or cultural heritage in some ways. I find it to be a very slippery slope, and a central problem faced by many Somalis in general.

Interesting, could you explain, please?

[burahadeer]

 

 

 

 

Farhiya highlights..