AYV News, July 28, 2026
Every success story has a beginning. For Sierra Leonean volleyball player Ishmail Bangura, that beginning was not in a modern sports arena or a well-equipped training center. It started on dusty community courts in the eastern part of Freetown, where passion was the only thing he had in abundance.
At just twelve years old, Bangura fell in love with volleyball. Like many young athletes in Sierra Leone, he trained without proper volleyball shoes, quality equipment, or access to professional facilities. Yet every day after school, he walked long distances to practice, carrying nothing but hope and the determination to build a better future.
“There were days when all we had was one old volleyball to share,” Bangura recalls. “Sometimes I wondered if all the sacrifices would ever be worth it. But something inside me refused to give up.”
His commitment quickly set him apart. In 2011, he received the Most Disciplined Player Award from the Western Area Volleyball Association (WAVA), an honor that reflected his character more than his statistics.
“It wasn’t my biggest trophy,” he says. “But it was the award that changed my mindset. It taught me that discipline would always take me further than talent alone.”
One year later, Bangura’s hard work earned him his first call-up to represent Sierra Leone at the ECOWAS Games in Ghana. For a young boy who had grown up with limited opportunities, wearing the national colors became proof that dreams could become reality.
Over the following years, he established himself as one of Sierra Leone’s most accomplished volleyball players. He earned Most Valuable Player, Best Attacker, and Best Blocker honors in competitions organized by the Volleyball Federation of Sierra Leone and the Western Area Volleyball Association. His performances also earned him opportunities to represent Sierra Leone in major international competitions, including the FIVB Beach Volleyball World Championship Qualifier, the African Games, the African Beach Games, and regional championships across Africa.
But Bangura’s greatest victory would come far from home.
In 2023, years of sacrifice and perseverance earned him an athletic scholarship to Goshen College in Indiana, United States.
Leaving Sierra Leone meant leaving behind family, friends, and everything familiar. The transition brought new challenges, adjusting to a different culture, balancing university studies with collegiate athletics, and proving himself on one of the world’s most competitive stages for student-athletes.
Rather than being overwhelmed, Bangura embraced the opportunity.
He quickly became one of Goshen College’s standout volleyball players, earning Male Rookie of the Year, First Team All-Conference, WHAC All-Freshman Team, and multiple WHAC Attacker of the Week honors.
Yet he understood that volleyball alone could not define his future.
While competing at a high level, Bangura remained committed to his education. He graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in Information Technology and a minor in Graphic Design, becoming one of the few Sierra Leonean student-athletes to successfully combine international athletics with academic achievement in the United States.
Today, he works as an Information Technology Intern, applying the same discipline that shaped his volleyball career to his professional life.
Looking back, Bangura says every difficult moment was part of a much bigger purpose.
“There were times I questioned everything,” he admits. “The long walks to practice, the lack of equipment, being away from my family, the setbacks, it wasn’t easy. But every challenge became another reason to keep going.”
Although his academic journey has reached an important milestone, Bangura believes his story is only beginning.
His next goal is to play professional volleyball while continuing to build a career in Information Technology and use his experiences to inspire young people across Sierra Leone.
“I want every young person who feels limited by their circumstances to know that your starting point doesn’t decide your destination,” he says. “If you stay disciplined, keep learning, and never stop believing, opportunities can come from places you never imagined.”
From the dusty volleyball courts of Freetown to graduating from an American university, Ishmail Bangura’s journey is a reminder that perseverance can transform hardship into hope, and dreams into reality
