Other

BBC World Service South Asia

Migrated podcast image for: Outlook

Outlook

Factual: Life Stories

True stories of ordinary people and the extraordinary events that have shaped their lives.

BBC World Service Australasia

BBC World Service East and Southern Africa Schedule

BBC World Service East and Southern Africa

BBC World Service Online

BBC World Service schedule for American satellite radio and the Caribbean

BBC World Service Americas and the Caribbean

BBC World Service

BBC World Service News Internet

BBC World Service Europe and the Middle East

BBC World Service West and Central Africa Schedule

BBC World Service West and Central Africa

BBC World Service East Asia

Outlook: Surviving civil war with a tracksuit and tennis racquet

Magazines & Reviews

Sam Jalloh, a winner of the BBC Inspirations Awards 2020

22/12/2020 GMT

Surviving civil war with a tracksuit and tennis racquet

BBC World Service - Outlook, Surviving civil war with a tracksuit and tennis racquet

Sam Jalloh, the barefoot player turned pro, coaches kids to achieve their tennis dreams

BBC Inspirations 2020 winner: Sam Jalloh went from barefoot player to pro in the backdrop of Sierra Leone’s brutal civil war. He now coaches kids to achieve their tennis dreams.

Sam Jalloh learned to play tennis barefoot, with a racquet fashioned out of plywood. He'd grown up poor in Freetown and his motivation to play was at first driven by the allure of a fresh tracksuit. But when Sam took to the court his talent quickly got him noticed by local coaches. He was training around the clock, with a career at the national level beckoning. But while he honed his skills, a brutal civil war was tearing Sierra Leone apart. Even when Sam found himself in the crosshairs of the conflict, he never stopped playing. He’s now a successful tennis coach based in the UK and has a sports foundation that supports young athletes.

Emily Webb caught up with Sam to name him one of the winners of BBC Inspirations 2020. For full details of the awards and Covid-19 related changes, please check the revised terms on our website: www.bbcworldservice.com/inspirations.

Producers: Tom Harding-Assinder, Maryam Maruf, Troy Holmes
Editor: Munazza Khan

Picture Sam Jalloh
Credit: Courtesy of Sam Jalloh

Accessibility links

Programme Index

Outlook

Surviving civil war with a tracksuit and tennis racquet

Genres

Formats

Brand

BBC World Service South Asia

About BBC World Service