Meet Our Executive Team


  • FOUNDER + EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

    Fitriya started playing sports at age 10 in her Physical Education class and hasn't stopped since. Playing basketball was a way for her to integrate into the Canadian culture. She was the first Muslim woman in her high school to be awarded Female Athlete of the Year. Four years later, she received her Bachelor’s degree in Sport Management and founded MWSBL.

    She founded MWSBL to create an inclusive community for Muslim women to play basketball. Her hopes are to unite and inspire the next generation of Muslim women hoopers around the world. She is currently pursuing a Master’s at Brock University and is the basketball ambassador for Hijabi Ballers.


  • DIRECTOR OF FINANCE + TREASURE

    Powel’s sports journey began at a young age with soccer and crossed over to other sports such as table tennis, basketball, and swimming. He competed in soccer at a varsity level while in elementary and high school. He is completing his undergraduate studies at Brock University, majoring in Business Administration.

    He is honored to be a part of MWSB as Director of Finance and Treasure, and as an ally for Muslim female athletes. He believes in the organization’s vision, core values, and long-term goals and is thrilled ot help empower Muslim women worldwide.


  • DIRECTOR OF MARKETING COMMUNICATION + DIGITAL STRATEGY

    Victoria Guerrero’s love for basketball started as a pursuit to prove she could keep up in a game of street-ball as the only girl on the court among her brother and male cousins. It evolved into a love, passion, and determination to prove that women belonged on the court, no matter who their competitor was. Today, you can still find her on the court. She either has a ball in her hand, prepared to compete against the next person to challenge her, or with a camera, equipped to capture and tell the story of the next greatest athlete.

    Victoria graduated from the Fashion Institute of Technology with a Bachelor's degree in Advertising and Marketing Communications. She has 2 years of experience in storytelling, content creation, and social media management. Her goal is to amplify MWSBL’s mission by showcasing the league’s talents and stories, and helping empower, inspire, and advocate for all Muslim women hoopers around the world.

Meet Our Advisory Board

  • TEACHING ASSISTANT + PHD STUDENT AT YORK UNIVERSITY

    ​​Melissa started playing competitive basketball when she was 12. Her love for the sport (especially for shooting) grew quickly and she continued playing throughout high school. In college, most her time outside of class was spent in the gym. She was usually the only female among the other players and she found it difficult to find her place on the court. Because she didn't have her own team of 3, Melissa quickly learned that if she wanted to play she had to demand that she was "next." It was like a tryout every time she played with new people. She knew the men underestimated her, which pushed her to run faster, jump higher, and work harder to win.

    Finding her place on the basketball court hasn't always been easy, but thanks to groups like Hijabi Ballers and now the Muslim Women's Summer Basketball League, she is grateful that she can contribute to creating spaces for other female Muslim athletes who may be feeling isolated and marginalized. It's important to her that Muslim female athletes are able to participate in the sports they love without compromising their faith.

  • EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF HIJABI BALLERS

    Amreen's sports ‘career’ began when she joined her high school’s rugby team in grade 10. She joined the team to try something new and experience what it was like to be on a sports team. Since then, she fell in love with the sport and continued to play rugby for years to come.

    In 2017, she started Hijabi Ballers out of the need for more recognition for Muslim female athletes and better resources for Muslim girls and women to take part in sport. Now as the Executive Director of Hijabi Ballers, she has learned and continues to learn the ins and outs of building her own sport-for-development, grassroots, non-profit organization; a skill she hopes to bring to the Board of MWSBL.

    She has grown very fond of basketball in recent years and has witnessed how powerful of a tool basketball is to build sisterhood in the Muslim community. She is excited to see MWSBL grow and become a significant piece of Toronto’s sports community.

  • PHYSICAL + HEALTH EDUCATION & BIOLOGY HIGH SCHOOL TEACHER

    Nazie Shakur is a Physical and Health Education and Biology High School teacher in the Toronto District School Board. She is also a Realtor with the Toronto Real Estate Board. She graduated from York University with a degree in Kinesiology and Health Sciences and completed her Basketball Coaching NCCP level 2 certification.

    She started playing basketball at the age 12. Unfortunately, while growing up, there were not many visible Muslim women basketball players who wore hijab. She was forced to pave my own way as a young Muslim basketball player in the GTA.

    Throughout her teaching career, she’s coached both boys and girls senior basketball teams. Over the past few years, she’s had the opportunity to run weekly basketball clinics at the local mosque for young women. Basketball has become part of her identity as Muslim athlete.

    As coach and an educator, it is her hope to teach her athletes how to win and loose both on and off the court gracefully. She knows that in both, sports and life, everyone will get knocked down at some point. It is imperative that in those critical moments, we display qualities we learn through sports; patience, resilience, and perseverance.

    She is grateful and excited to be part of the Muslim Women’s Summer Basketball League. She says it’s a privilege to be part of a talented team of motivated individuals who are using this platform to bring forth our truth and authenticity as Muslim women athletes to the game of basketball and at the same time creating opportunities for many young women across the GTA.

    It is her hope that as Muslim women basketball players, we will move forward with conviction to showcase our strength and skills, while at the same time, never compromising who we are as Muslims in the process.

Volunteer with MWSBL

Do you want to help us foster sisterhood, mentorship and inclusive basketball community? Send us an email below expressing your interest.

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