DALLAS (USA) - To be born into a civil war and have to flee to a neighboring country for safety before crossing oceans to figure out your life and build it to achieve big dreams is in simple terms resilience and determination.

Acheil Tac was born in Khartoum, Sudan back in September 1993 before her family - parents and three sisters escaped to Egypt in 2000 as refugees and three years later moved to the United States so that they could get a good education. 

It was in Dallas that she got introduced to basketball in high school and the hoops game has since changed her life - paid her tuition fees, introduced her to travel overseas and helped her see the world from a hands-on experience having played professionally in Switzerland and until this ongoing pandemic started, in the Greece topflight league. 

As fate would have it, right at the peak of her career, retired two-time NBA All-Star player Luol Deng of the Chicago Bulls, has taken over as the new South Sudan Basketball Federation president. And just like that, there is a renewed hope that the world's youngest country will be setting up their first ever senior women's national team. 

"I AM SUPER EXCITED. I DO NOT WANT TO PUT ON THE SOUTH SUDAN JERSEY TO SAY I MADE IT OR BOAST ABOUT IT. I WANT TO WEAR ONE TO MAKE A STATEMENT THAT COMMUNICATES TO THE WORLD THAT SOUTH SUDAN IS COMING FOR EVERYTHING IT DESERVES AND HAS A YOUNG GENERATION OF ATHLETES WHO HAVE ITS BACK AND ARE READY TO REBUILD IT USING BASKETBALL AND MUCH MORE TO GET IT UP TO SPEED WITH THE REST OF THE WORLD."- Tac

Just like other South Sudanese youths across the world, Tac keeps in touch with the culture that moulded her parents and ancestors and that motivates and inspires her to never forget where she came from. 

Speaking in an exclusive interview with FIBA.basketball, Tac said, "South Sudan's independence gave me and my family hope for the future of South Sudan's people. It signified growth and opportunity. Though it is not perfect right now and there are still struggles, we are getting closer and closer on our journey to real freedom and independence."

"Though we live miles and miles away from our country of origin, my mother makes sure we know, remember and live out our culture while being in America. We attend community events and talk to our relatives from back home."

In January, the senior men's side competed in the FIBA AfroBasket 2021 Pre-Qualifiers in the Kenyan capital of Nairobi and came so close to qualifying for Africa's premier basketball qualifying tournament. They fell short against the hosts. 

However, the South Sudan fraternity took away national pride even amidst defeat and it is that honor and belonging that Tac wants to achieve with the women's team. 

"I most certainly watched the games. All of them! It was very exciting and I think it was a start to something beautiful and promising. Our men in such a short time, came together and competed well. Though the end result did not really go in our favor, it was still a journey to watch and witness."

"They did great and it most definitely brought chills. Because now, seeing it with our own eyes, we know it is possible. I also thought, what about us? Are they thinking of us? Are they reaching out to us to get us started? But I was happy and excited for our men."

Deng told FIBA.basketball that the federation has partnered with different organizations to see how they can encourage families to reward the family and the kids whenever a girl practices with the program that they have set up.  

He explained that, "Those are initiatives that we believe that will work in Africa that people have to start thinking that way."

"Women's basketball is very important. We are really focusing on making sure that we implement and bring in more girls to play basketball. We are very keen on it. We are counting the numbers now on how many girls we have in every state," he explained. 

For Tac and other young South Sudanese girls across the world, this is brilliant and timely news that will be embraced. While they await the federation to set the foundations of this team, they are working towards this goal and fulfilling their part at an individual level. 

"I am super excited. I think it is going to change the narrative a little. I envision a proud team full of capable and talented young women who are wanting to not only showcase their talents representing their country. I do not want to put on a South Sudan jersey to say I made it or to boast about it."

"I want to wear one to make a statement that communicates to the world that South Sudan is coming for everything it deserves and has a young generation of athletes who have its back and are ready to rebuild it using athletics and much more to get it up to speed with the rest of the world. We are a young nation indeed but we are making steps I think to move forward and create something special there."

"I think it would take a lot of work. Getting the best players of the bunch currently playing right now and a great coaching and training staff. A national team like this is not something that you just throw together. you have to prepare the players both mentally and physically to play. Especially if they recruit girls that have not played in a while."

"It takes careful planning and execution so that you can reap the benefits and success that are later to come. Definitely it will be a journey but I think if everybody works together and not in isolation, everything will work out how it is supposed to work out."

If all goes according to plan, South Sudan will assemble their first ever women's side to compete in the FIBA Women's AfroBasket 2021 Qualifiers and will be hoping to book a slot to play amongst the elite teams on the African continent.  

FIBA