These 3 UConn players are fighting for an NCAA title. They’re also fasting for Ramadan

UConn’s Adama Sanogo (21) rebounds in the second half of a second-round game against Saint Mary’s in the NCAA Tournament, Sunday, March 19, 2023, in Albany, N.Y.
UConn’s Adama Sanogo (21) rebounds in the second half of a second-round game against Saint Mary’s in the NCAA Tournament, Sunday, March 19, 2023, in Albany, N.Y. | John Minchillo, Associated Press
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The University of Connecticut’s Final Four game against Miami in the NCAA men’s basketball tournament is set to tip off at 7:49 p.m. CDT in Houston on Saturday.

That will give three of the team’s players just enough time after sunset — around nine minutes — to eat and drink for the first time since the sun rose that day.

Adama Sanogo, Hassan Diarra and Samson Johnson are all Muslim and they’re all observing Ramadan even as they chase a March Madness title along with their team.

Since Ramadan began on the evening of March 22, they’ve been fasting from sunrise to sundown, despite the element of difficulty it’s added to their games.

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Last weekend, the players weren’t able to eat until midway through UConn’s Elite Eight game against Gonzaga, which they won 82-54. Members of the team’s training staff prepared peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, as well as fruit, for Sanogo, Diarra and Johnson, since those foods would be easy to eat and digest.

“The staff prepared easily digestible foods so that nourishment will flow through the players bodies as quickly as possible,” CT Insider reported.

The players were also provided with water, which they could continue to drink throughout the second half.

Sanogo, who is a starter for UConn, ultimately logged 26 minutes of playing time during the Gonzaga game, during which he had 10 points and 10 rebounds, according to ESPN.

His teammate Donovan Clingan was among those who were amazed at his effort, CT Insider reported.

“(Sanogo) can go out and dominate and he hasn’t eaten since 4:30 in the morning. That just shows what kind of person he is,” Clingan said.

Sanogo told CT Insider he’s been fasting during Ramadan since he was in high school, so he’s now used to the routine. He said his mom, who is also fasting, checks in with him regularly, and helps him stay focused on his faith.

“As a Muslim, if you’re healthy, you have to do it. I’m healthy, I’m feeling good, so why not? My mom, too. She calls me every day to check on me. She is fasting, so I can fast,” Sanogo said.

Other Muslim athletes often describe Ramadan the same way when they’re asked about how they balance the demands of their sport with the demands of their faith. They turn the attention to sacrifices made by their fellow Muslims and away from their own hectic days, as the Deseret News previously reported.

“There’s always someone having a harder fast than you. Someone who’s on their feet all day outside in the sun or maybe working construction,” said Radwan Bakkali, a British basketball player, to Men’s Health last year.

Teams and leagues generally do what they can to accommodate fasting players, including by adjusting the time of training sessions.

UConn coach Dan Hurley recently said the team is both hoping to make the NCAA championship game and hoping it will take place late enough that the fasting players can eat, CT Insider reported.