The beginning of Ramadan, the sacred month for Muslims, coincided with the final stretch of the basketball season in saddle. Amadou Diallo, pivot of the Ilunion, is Muslim and has spent his whole life fulfilling it, but he had never caught him in full competition. From May 5 to June 4 of this year, Muslims can not eat or drink anything, not even water, between 05:00 and 21:30 hours. The elite athletes have the option to skip it as long as they later recover those days. The Canarian player raised it. He spoke with his father, who was in favor of fulfilling it a posteriori. Training and competing by playing the League requires all possible energy and to perform well, in theory, we must also eat well. "At first I had a lot of doubts but I decided to try it The first day I fasted I felt a bit strange, but the next day I felt great I trained even better on an empty stomach I think that fasting is more of a mental issue" , recognize.

The first day I fasted I felt a bit weird, but the following ones I trained even better on an empty stomach "

Amadou Diallo

Since he started Ramadan he has lost seven kilos. He has gone from 96 to 89. What is worse is not being able to drink. "With what I speak, I spent the day quiet," he says laughing. "But I am religious and it is something I have to do, I am very lazy and I thought that if I did not do it and then I had to return those days it would cost me more", he adds. His body got used to not eating food during a training of the week of the Final Four, from 8:00 pm to 10:00 pm, he stopped at 9:30 pm to eat a banana, some dates and drink some water and then it felt heavy. "I had considered just the two days of the Final Four to eat but, after that, I decided to keep fasting," he explains. It is his second season at Ilunion after his time at ACE Gran Canaria and Bidaideak Bilbao BSR. He still remembers the day he received the call to sign for the Madrid team. "You're always looking forward to that call but when it happens, you're afraid because here are the best players and you're left with doubts about whether you'll fit in. Now I'm delighted to be with the best because it helps me to be better too," he says. . Since he arrived he has won a League and two King's Cups. And he hopes to continue earning much more. His hunger for titles remains intact.

I'm happy to be with the best ones because it helps me to be better too "

Amadou Diallo

It all started because of his water phobia. Diallo did not like sports and started practicing basketball at the age of 16, almost forced by his father, who gave him a choice between him and swimming. "And because I have a water phobia, I opted for basketball," he laughs. At first, he recognizes that he did not want too much for prejudice. He suffers from a neurological disorder called transverse myelitis, known as 'horsetail syndrome', caused by an inflammation of a segment of the spinal cord that affects the lower limbs. "I can walk on crutches, I have sensitivity in the legs and I keep muscles What I have is weakness of twins down, "he explains.

At first I did not see myself in a wheelchair playing basketball, the chair caused me a bit of rejection "

Amadou Diallo

"At first, I did not see myself in a wheelchair playing basketball, the chair caused me a bit of rejection because of the adolescent mentality of the time, I went to the Institute and you know ...", he says. "I reject so much and see where I am!" He adds on his laughing basketball chair. And he has reached the top in the Ilunion, but also with the national team. He was one of the architects of the historic silver of the Rio 2016 Paralympic Games and hopes to continue making history in Tokyo 2020. For this, Spain will have to finish in the top four in the European Championship this year. "The goal is to play the final," he says with ambition.