Breaking Barriers: Rehana Khalil – The Muslim Woman Making Waves in Basketball

Rehana Khalil is breaking barriers and shattering stereotypes as the only athlete to have represented a Great Britain basketball team while wearing a hijab. The 38-year-old plays and coaches in Manchester, where she takes charge of the under-12s programme for Manchester Mystics and plays for their senior team in the Women’s National Basketball League Division 1.

Khalil’s impressive season has seen her pick up the league’s player of the week honour, feature in the team of the week four times, and be selected as an all-star. She has also represented Great Britain’s over-35s team for the past three years and will compete in the European Championship in Italy this summer.

However, Khalil’s journey through the sport has not been without its challenges. At the beginning of her career, she did not wear a hijab. It was during a hiatus from basketball in the early 2010s that she made the decision to wear a hijab, only to find that the International Basketball Federation (FIBA) had a ban on headgear, including religious headwear like hijabs.

Despite this setback, Khalil persevered, and in 2017 FIBA lifted the ban, allowing players to participate while wearing religious headwear. Khalil’s determination to overcome obstacles has not gone unnoticed, as she recently received Basketball England’s Inspiring Female of the Year award for the north west region.

Joe Forber, Manchester Mystics co-founder, and former Sports Personality of the Year Unsung Hero award-winner, praised Khalil as a “role model” and an example to others. Khalil’s success on the court and her advocacy for inclusivity in sports make her a trailblazer in the basketball community, proving that faith and sport can coexist harmoniously.