Meet Egypt's trailblazing basketballer Nadine Selaawi
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Loading... - Belle Rolland
- 19 Sep 2022
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You know when you do something so well, and make it look so natural, that people say you could do it with your eyes closed? In the case of Egyptian basketball player Nadine Selaawi that’s literally true – and she has the video on Instagram to prove it.
It all goes back to her first year playing for University of North Carolina at Greensboro. After missing a crucial shot, Nadine turned up on court at 6 a.m. the next day to make 300 free throws. She kept the same practice schedule for four months, gaining in skill, muscle memory and confidence to the point where she broke every scoring record at her school. Now back playing in Egypt for the mighty Al Ahly, her team-mates challenged her to take free throws blindfolded in training and, just for fun, she made 12 out of 15 – a percentage not every player manages with their eyes wide open.
“It’s true, I have a really high percentage from the free throw line,” she says. “Like, during the game if I get 15 free shots I’m not going to miss one, I’d get 15 out of 15. So that’s why we made the blindfolded video. It just became a sense for me, I do the same thing every time.
“I always had the thing in me, I know I'm one of the best, but I always want to be the best, so I always go the extra mile to do what I can to reach my goal.”
The story about how she got so good from the free throw line illustrates her refusal to give anything less than full commitment. But there’s another side to her that’s just as important, and that's her determination to ensure that whatever she achieves, she’ll be having fun doing it, and it'll be on her own terms. Read More...
