Meet Bermuda Football Player Zakiyah Durham
In the latest in series of profiles of football players who will be part of the team representing Bermuda at the CONCACAF Caribbean Women’s Under-20 Qualifier that will take place on July 19, July 21, and July 23 at National Sports Center, we spotlight 17-year-old Zakiyah Durham.
1. How does it feel to have been selected for such an elite squad?
It feels overwhelming, but at the same time it doesn’t because this time it is here in Bermuda and usually the competitions are away.
2. How will you prepare for the competition?
I have been making sure my fitness level is up to par, I feel it could be better so I plan to work on that the most.
3. When did you start playing football and what prompted you to start?
I started playing football when I was 4 years old, so probably my mom made me play and as I kept playing I grew into the sport and started to love it more. Then, I stopped for a period of time and then I went back to it when I went to T.N Tatem because Naquita Robinson saw me and decided she could help me improve, so she trained me and put me in the National Academy and ever since then I have been playing football.
4. Do you feel that girls’ and women’s’ football gets enough support from the local community?
Not necessarily, simply because we are women, we are not guys. I think that we should get more support because I feel like the women, females in general, can do many things better than guys and our past outcomes, have shown just that.
5. Which Bermudian athlete, coach or sporting figure do you admire most and why?
To be honest, I think I would have to say any athlete that shows commitment and passion for whatever sport that they take part in.
6. How does it feel to get the opportunity to play in your own country and in front of a home crowd?
It is very scary but then again it is very exciting because people will finally get to see how we play and how successful we can be, not trying to jinx anything.
