From her humble beginnings on the courts of Ouahigouya to her rise as captain of the Burkina Faso women’s national volleyball team, Aminata Diallo embodies perseverance and passion. In this interview carried out on Thursday September 19, 2024, the member of AS SONABEL, who is also a professional police officer and mother of a young boy, looks back on her first inspirations, her titles, the challenges encountered as captain, and his aspirations for the future.
Lefaso.net: Can you tell us about your beginnings in volleyball? What attracted you to this sport?
Aminata Diallo: I started volleyball in 2006, from 6th grade. It was a Tuesday and as we left class, while we were chatting among ourselves in a group, there was a gentleman named Beloum Souleymane who came towards us on a motorbike. He introduced himself as a physical education and sports teacher and volleyball coach. It was he who taught us this sport. Being at Yamwaya high school in Ouahigouya, Tuesday and Thursday evenings were only reserved for sports. Since it was a Tuesday, he directly opened a list so that those who were interested in volleyball could put their names on it. The same day at 4 p.m., we found ourselves on set. Many of us registered. The field was really flooded with people and that’s where it all started. Despite most of us withdrawing halfway, I continued. Every time when I was at home, I looked forward to Tuesdays and Thursdays so I could go and train on the field.
Are there people or figures who have inspired you in your sporting journey?
When I started, there was one of our big sisters named Diane Ouédraogo who inspired me a lot. During matches or training, people only heard his name. She played like a boy and the way she played inspired people to play volleyball. In Ouahigouya, people only talked about her. That’s where I went to tell my coach that I want to play like Diane Ouédraogo and even do better than her.
Can you say today that you have reached the level of Diane Ouédraogo?
I would even say that I passed her by because she hung up without having had the titles that I have to my credit. My goal is therefore half achieved because I plan to obtain other titles.
How did you join the women’s national volleyball team?
After Yamwaya high school, I joined Yadéga high school with Ben Hamed Barro who was my coach. During the competitions of the School and University Sports Union of Burkina Faso (USSU-BF), since there was no club in Ouahigouya, he created the AS Academy of Ouahigouya where we arrived first division (D1) in the years 2010-2011. It was during our first participation in D1 that I obtained the title of best player. After this season, I was first called up for pre-selection for the national team with my older sisters. Among the group of players called up, I was the youngest. At the pre-selection, we could only keep 14 players and God doing things well, I was one of the 14 selected. It was with this selection that we went to Niger for a match. Match during which I was the starting player of the competition from start to finish. This is how I managed to join the national team in 2011 and I am still there as captain of the team.
What do you think is the current state of women’s volleyball in Burkina Faso?
Currently, we do not have a team in the second division (D2). We are all in the first division (D1) with quite a few teams. In the Center League, there are no less than six teams. There are also the teams from Hauts-Bassins and the North so I tell myself that it’s okay since we are able to compete and our season is going wonderfully.
What are the advances and areas for improvement in women’s volleyball in Burkina Faso?
There are many things to improve in volleyball. Just like other sports disciplines, volleyball also needs financial and material support. Whoever talks about volleyball must necessarily talk about equipment because without equipment, we cannot move forward. When I talk about equipment, I am referring to balls, nets and even the frame (field). If we had support and with the experience we have, we could motivate our young sisters to take up this sport.
What challenges do you face as a volleyball team captain?
At the national team level, when there are groupings, everything rests on the captain. She is the one who becomes the intermediary between her teammates and the technical team, which is often very complicated. You become a sort of barrier between the two camps. But we manage to find the right balance by communicating with the federation. It’s also the same at club level. Since you are captain, everything falls on you every time and you must be able to take things positively. As a captain, you must be proud and set a good example so that you can encourage and motivate your teammates. This is why we don’t choose the captain at random.
How do you perceive the commitment of young girls to this sport?
Young girls are starting to become more and more involved. We are starting to have some new talent. Recently, our U17s were in Benin for a competition in zone 3 and they returned with the bronze medal. There is the next generation but we need support to train the supervisors who will recruit the young girls and the presence of elders like us to motivate them through our actions.
What advice would you give them?
I would tell my younger sisters to have courage because nothing is easy. You don’t become a champion in a day. They must redouble their efforts and above all accept losing to become champion because as they say, you learn best in pain.
Have you ever won any titles, whether nationally or internationally?
On the national level, I had quite a few personal titles. During the previous season, I had nine Most Valuable Players (MVPs) in the first division. I was voted best player of the season. I was champion with AS Sonabel, in 2023. I was elected best player of the Association of Sports Journalists of Burkina and also vice-champion 2024 in the national championship. I got really good prices. We also played away matches where we won the bronze medal in our zone which is zone 3.
Do you have any stories about your beginnings in this industry?
I still play volleyball for love but when I started, the love of the thing was very present. We went on the pitch barefoot, we played barefoot but despite that, we were always comfortable. At the end you take your champion title and you are happy with yourself. For the little anecdote, during my second selection for the national team, we had to go to Abidjan for a match. We had to travel by plane and it was my very first flight. Our coach, Mr. Sidibé, told people every time to watch his daughter because I am not easy. When we arrived, I got off the plane without my plane ticket. When I got to the checkpoint, I was the only one who didn’t have my plane ticket and people started making fun of me. They said it could only be the “poulotte”. I found it very funny but I promised myself it wouldn’t happen to me again.
What are your personal goals as a player in the years to come?
As a player, I would like to ask the federation and the Ministry of Sports to allow us to go outside to face the best teams in order to be able to show them the full extent of our talent. We participated in the volleyball CAN last season in Cameroon and it was very interesting. We certainly did not come back from this CAN with a medal but we learned a lot of things. It was also our first trip away since we were in the selection. We travel as part of our competitions but it is always within our zone.
How do you reconcile your sporting career with your personal and professional life?
I can sort things out at this level. I am married and mother of a young boy. When I come home, I’m a housewife, I don’t talk about my work. When I’m in service, I don’t let my home interfere, it’s service that comes first. I was also lucky to have a very understanding hierarchy and spouse who supported me and who facilitated my travels inside and outside the country. I would like to take this opportunity to reiterate my sincere thanks to them.
Does your sporting career impact your personal/social life?
I send a positive image through volleyball. I would say that every athlete must play the role of educator. People should be able to learn lessons through you. Today, I can say that it is a source of pride for me to be at this level. There are young girls who, when they see me, say “big sister, I would like to be like you, I would like to play like you”. Even in professional life, you must be able to set an example.
Sport and motherhood, how do you manage to reconcile the two?
It’s not an easy thing to reconcile sport and motherhood but I would say that one does not prevent the other. If you have no complications after your delivery, you can continue to do your sport without worry. If you are allowed to play after giving birth, you can even bring your baby onto the field. It’s all a question of organization. I didn’t have any problems at this level. I left for my two hours of training which took place three times a week with my child and his nanny. I even brought them with me when I had a match. When I finish my match and I take my MVP jersey with my baby, I am very proud of myself.
A final word?
I wanted to once again say thank you to my club and national team teammates. Thank you to my coaches Beloum Souleymane, Ben Barro Ahmed, Bamoussa Diarra who were there from the beginning until now and who participated in my success in this sport. Thank you to all those people who participated in my success in this sport and to my police institution which always does its best to make my task easier.
Hanifa Koussoubé
Anita Zongo (intern)
Lefaso.net
