UConn players navigate Ramadan fast during Final Four

HOUSTON (AP) — For UConn gamers Adama Sanogo, Samson Johnson and Hassan Diarra, a conventional pregame meal earlier than Saturday night time’s Last 4 matchup towards Miami received’t be doable.

The three are Muslims who observe Ramadan and started a strict quick from daybreak till sundown each day beginning March 22 and persevering with by way of April 20. Ramadan is the Muslim holy month and is a time of deep religious self-discipline and contemplation of 1’s relationship with God.

With the solar setting in Houston simply 10 minutes earlier than the 7:49 p.m. tipoff, the gamers will barely have time to eat a snack and chug a drink earlier than taking the courtroom towards the Hurricanes.

“I’ll drink my coconut water and eat some fruit,” stated Sanogo, the crew’s main scorer. “That’s all I must prepare for the sport and I’ll be fantastic.”

James Doran is the crew’s affiliate head athletic coach and the person accountable for ensuring the three gamers have what they should navigate taking part in basketball whereas fasting. He stated the hot button is planning.

“All we did was we mainly quizzed all of them and requested them, ‘What would you like popping out of your quick?’ they usually all have been doing it so lengthy that they know precisely what they need proper out of the quick,” Doran stated.

Whereas Sanogo prefers fruit and coconut water, Johnson and Diarra typically go for peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and sports activities drinks.

All three say that whereas fasting in the course of the event may be tough, they’ve been doing it for thus lengthy it’s like second nature to them to proceed it this week.

“It’s not a simple job … however simply have religion and consider in God and the whole lot that you simply do exactly will get simpler,” Johnson stated. “With time I acquired used to it and it’s so much simpler for me now.”

The gamers don’t stress out about fasting in the course of the event, however the identical can’t be stated for UConn coach Dan Hurley.

“For me as a coach, navigating it was extra like panic,” he stated. “And I don’t know a lot about weight-reduction plan and diet and human efficiency. However we’ve acquired a fantastic power coach and athletic coach which have been in a position to stand up with (Sanogo) early and get some meals in him. After which clearly the late tip time helps us extra.

“It was an even bigger problem out West as a result of we had been taking part in so early, and it was like actually in the midst of (Sanogo) in all probability being at his weakest when it comes to these issues.”

As an illustration, their sport towards Gonzaga final Saturday in Las Vegas began so early the three gamers couldn’t eat till halftime. That left them lower than 10 minutes to seize some bananas and sports activities drinks earlier than returning to the courtroom.

All three gamers stated they get up round 5 a.m. to eat earlier than their each day quick begins. None of them eat breakfast meals, with all three choosing meals together with steak for his or her morning meal.

Diarra stated it’s not the dearth of meals that impacts him most however quite that he isn’t in a position to have a sip of water if a sport or observe is throughout fasting hours.

“It may be very, very, very arduous at instances,” he stated. “The toughest half will not be with the ability to drink or hydrate your self all through the sport, all through the practices. It may be difficult at instances, however we discover a strategy to push by way of it and get it carried out.”

Due to this, Doran and the workers give attention to ensuring they’re consuming and consuming the suitable issues once they can to get by way of bodily exertion.

“We actually be certain that they’re taking in a large amount of electrolytes in the course of the non-fast,” he stated. “As a result of ensuring they’re loaded up on electrolytes will assist them retain extra water whereas they’re not allowed to drink or not allowed to hydrate.”

Because the scent of meals ready for the remainder of the crew wafted by way of the locker room Friday, Diarra was requested if conditions like that made fasting tougher.

He stated no, however famous temptations that come from one other supply.

“It’s totally on social media,” he stated. “You don’t wish to give it some thought, but it surely simply pops up in your newsfeed. Recipes, and nice meals and eating places, that’s the toughest half.”

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