Valiant Oumar Ballo takes stand with Mali Basketball Federation, Mo Tangara explains

Following the FIBA drama, we checked in with Mo Tangara to get more insight since he played for the Mali National team for 16 years, and has been involved as a coach for nine years.

Tangara graduated from the University of Arizona after playing basketball for Lute Olson. Mo also worked with Lute to bring Malian and other nationalities of young players to Tucson to train with them in World Classics.

Naturally, we had questions:

ZZ: We just saw Oumar Ballo took a stand with FIBA Mali Basketball, can you tell us more about the situation?

Mo: I’m really proud of Oumar and what he’s accomplished at a young age. I think he’s going to continue to grow and really I’m expecting really big things from him to fill my shoes and take Mali to the next level, I want him to achieve all the things I did not achieve in Arizona and even with the National team.

He’s grown up! He was a champion in the World Cup. He was selected for the [Mali] National team and went home in June for workouts and FIBA qualification games. It turned out to not be the way we thought it would be. The players faced a lot of difficulty.

They had a lot of challenges with the bonuses the government is supposed to pay them even from a long time ago. Think about it…he won the U18 Champion of the World Cup. The government was supposed to pay a bonus, the bonus didn’t come. He came over to the national team, for the past eight years, some of these young players, even the National Team players, they don’t get anything, the country doesn’t give them nothing. I understand they go and play for the country, but at some point, the government has to really take care of them and give them something.

Things are changing, this young generation is starting to understand, they have a short window to play the sport, and they want to help their country, but at the same time, we know when the country has an agreement and made a promise, they have to come through. That’s what it comes down to.

The players were in Mali ready to play, but it came to the point where there was a lot of false promises, so the players decided they weren’t going to play or participate in the FIBA World Cup qualifications. Which is a tough decision. I totally understand where he comes from, where the team comes from, I was in the same situation years ago. I suffered a lot and sacrificed. I couldn’t make some of those decisions. But this young generation decided they’re not going to go through what we went through.

I applaud for him, I applaud for them to stand up and looking for change.

It’s all about change, they want to bring change, they see the value of basketball. They see their value, they see what they can bring to the table, they see what impact to change things for the next generation. There are travel issues, there are paperwork issues.

We are just facing bad management of the Federation, I think that’s how the situation played out. I think the Government banned them for basketball and any activity for the country. I thought that was severe. I think that was too much. My heads full, I need to work hard, I think we need to get him reinstated and all the players because that’s how the situation has played out. Oumar is on his way back to Arizona soon, I think it will be good for him to come back and focus on Arizona.

ZZ: What has your role been over the years in Mali Basketball to the players as well?

Mo: My role has been “Big Brother” to be a role model to the young players to really help them understand how to be in a foreign country to come to the US to take advantage of opportunities, be a good kid, be a good citizen, at the same time contribute back in Mali, in their native country.

Right now, I am looking to move forward past Big Brother and maybe looking into stepping up into a leadership position because this generation needs me because they need someone who understands basketball. I understand what they are going through and they need someone who cares about them. The people that run basketball federation in Mali right now, they don’t have a clue. Someone just started contributing money to basketball, they don’t know anything about basketball or even how to watch film. We just got electors to be in office and the leaders have no basketball skills.

Ballo and his teammates are suffering right now in this situation because they are used to performing in organizations who operate at a high level in college and the Pro’s that help players.

But when the players go back home, the government asks you to play at a high level without giving you the tools and all the necessary resources to perform. And then when they don’t perform they get trashed in the media.

They aren’t getting any benefits, and some of the players play with no insurance.

I think my job right now is to educate and continue to encourage them, being a role model.

I do a lot of camps and develop youth in Mali, making an impact for years. I want to keep supporting and guiding these players. I played on the National team for 16 years, plus another nine years supporting the program.

ZZ: What do you propose as a possible solution to help solve the Player’s issues and get them reinstated and paid?

Mo: My solution is really first we need to start listening to these young players, and second we need to appoint the right people to support them in Mali in the front office. This is something I have been fighting for a long time. When you hire, appoint the right people to run the basketball and understand the youth and have connections around the world, that’s what they need right now.

Another solution is go back home and be a part of the office, help to run the office. These kids want someone who have the knowledge. If we can do some of this, it will be a great solution for the Mali basketball team. We need to listen to what they are saying! Because they are doing the best they can. We have developed so many young players, Mali coaches are doing the best to develop the young players, but there is no follow-up.

That’s where I can help, where I can come in to be a part of the solution, I need to bring partners, I am searching for partners in the USA. We are looking for anybody that’s looking to invest in Mali basketball. Whomever is a coach, a club program, a pro team, scouts, agents, that’s one of the parts we need to bring in, bring in a huge network to support Mali basketball players.

So guys like Ballo can play for Arizona Basketball and keep performing on the international level as he has been doing from a young age. The solution is that. The right people with the right network, and help the coaches on the ground, so basketball can keep going.

With minors, there was an issue with sexual assault with a young female player, the investigation is ongoing. Mali didn’t get to play in qualifiers.

ZZ: What do you envision as a great future for Mali Basketball?

Mo: I have high hope for Mali basketball players, and I have high hope for myself if I can get in the office and bring my expertise and my network, be a mentor for these players and help them to achieve their goals we can make a great impact. I know with Ballo and a lot more of Mali’s young players are going to make it to the NBA.

Look at Ballo’s here at the University of Arizona, one of the top schools in the country, he had a great year, and I am looking forward to having a great season this year and keep improving, eventually making it to the NBA. And also we have about 27 young players all over the NCAA from D1 and D2. We have a lot of talent, we need people with the right knowledge and right intentions. We are in deep conflict with an extremist group in Mali, mass slaughtering, every day in my home country.

I have high hopes for Ballo and all the young players, we are going to be fine.