Sarah Chan (basketball)

Chan grew up in Khartoum, Sudan, during the second Sudanese Civil War.[2] She lived with her parents, two older brothers and younger sister alongside other families in a homestead that was "half-mud and half-brick".[5][6] She speaks English, Swahili, Arabic, and Dinka.[6]

In August 1998, her family fled to Nairobi, Kenya, where her parents received an academic sponsorship to study theology, as well as tuition for Sarah and her sister's education.[6][7] Chan played sports for the first time in 2004 at Laiser Hill High School, where she quickly excelled in basketball.[6]

In 2007, she moved to the US, and attended Union University in Jackson, Tennessee, on a basketball scholarship.[6][4] There, she studied political science and history, and played on the school's National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) program.[6] After playing professionally for a few years in Europe and Africa, she returned to Nairobi, where she pursued a master's degree in peace and conflict studies at United States International University Africa.[6]

Standing at 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) tall,[8] Chan played the forward position.[9] As a senior, she was named to the NAIA all-tournament team and a first-team NAIA All-American.[10] Over four seasons at Union University, she scored 1,892 points and had 1,112 rebounds.[6]

She tried out for the Women's National Basketball Association team Indiana Fever, but was not selected.[6]

Chan continued playing basketball professionally in Spain and Portugal, and also played for clubs in Tunisia, Angola, and Mozambique.[7] She subsequently returned to Kenya, where she played for the United States International University Africa.[7] Chan was the top scorer and rebounder, and was in the 2015 FIBA Africa Women's Champions Cup All-Star Five,[7][11] and also competed in the 2017 FIBA Africa Women's Clubs Champions Cup.[6]

While coaching at a Giants of Africa basketball camp in Kenya in 2017, she was discovered by Toronto Raptors president Masai Ujiri,[6] who followed her career and later hired her as a scout and basketball development associate.[1] As the lead scout, Chan travels throughout Africa recruiting talent for the Raptors.[1] She has also persuaded Ujiri to hold Giants of Africa camps in Juba, South Sudan, and Mogadishu, Somalia, to offer girls the opportunity to try basketball.[6]

Chan started her charity, the Home At Home/Apediet Foundation, to provide mentoring to girls, prevent child marriage, and promote education and sports.[2] It is a national non-governmental organization named after her mother.[5]