Abdi Fatah Dini
Biography
Originally from Somalia, Dini is truly an outstanding athlete whose qualities of fair play and dedication to sport excellence are exemplified in everything he does.
He is an individual who quietly goes about his business on and off the court, ever cognizant of his surroundings, and above all else dedicated to making himself and those around him better. His personal motto of “do the best you can” seems to hold no limits for this student of life who often seems to say so much using so few words. Dini demonstrates on a daily basis that being a leader or an effective role model is not always about being vocal. Rather, he embodies the concept of actions speak louder than words.
Throughout his career in wheelchair basketball, which began in 1996, he has been a rock-steady example of the honest and consistent work ethic needed to excel at the most elite level. His ability to inspire holds true as much in international competition as a member of Team Canada as it does while he competes at Variety Village, the local specialized sports facility in his hometown of Scarborough, Ont.
He won a gold medal with Team Canada at the inaugural world junior championships in 1997 and repeated the feat in 2001. He also won gold at the Canada Games in 1999 and took home the bronze in 2003 as part of Team Ontario.
Since joining the Senior Men’s National Team in 2008, he has demonstrated poise in pressure situations and developed into one of Canada’s most consistent performers. Dini won a silver medal at his first Paralympic Games in Beijing in 2008. In 2012, he won Paralympic gold at the Games in London.
#MyNorth The Story of Scarborough’s Abdi Dini
A true concrete warrior, Abdi Dini didn’t always call Scarborough home. Watch his incredible story of triumph from Somalia to gold medalist for Team Canada.
Interesting Facts
- He studied business and finance in school
- If he could dine with anyone in the world he would choose NBA star Kobe Bryant
Awards / Highlights
- Received the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal (2013)
- Named to the 2009-2012 National Championships tournament all-star team
- Dini finished atop the leader board in free-throw accuracy at the 2009 Americas Cup, shooting a perfect 6-for-6
- Nominated for the 2009 Sport Alliance of Ontario’s male athlete with a disability of the year award
Major International Competition
| Tournament |  |
 |
 |
Other |
| Paralympic Games: 3 | 1 (’12) | 1 (’08) | – | 11th (’16) |
| World Championships: 1 | – | – | – | 7th (’10) |
| World Junior Championships: 2 | 2 (’97, ’01) | 0 | 0 | – |
Statistics
Paralympic Games
| Year | GP | Min | M/G | Field Goals | 3Pts | Free Throws | Rebounds | AS | TO | ST | BS | PF | FO | PTS | P/G | |||||
| M/A | % | M/A | % | M/A | % | OR | DR | TOT | ||||||||||||
| 2012 | 8 | 224 | 27:57 | 11/35 | 31 | 0/0 | – | 1/8 | – | 3 | 7 | 10 | 9 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 11 | 8 | 23 | 2.9 |
| 2008 | 8 | 133 | 16:39 | 7/13 | 54 | 0/0 | – | 0/0 | – | 1 | 10 | 11 | 2 | 7 | 2 | 0 | 7 | 2 | 14 | 1.8 |
| TOTAL | 16 | 357 | 22:19 | 18/48 | 38 | 0/0 | – | 1/8 | – | 4 | 17 | 21 | 11 | 10 | 5 | 1 | 18 | 10 | 37 | 2.3 |
World Championships
| Year | GP | Min | M/G | Field Goals | 3 Pts | Free Throws | Rebounds | AS | TO | ST | BS | PF | FO | PTS | P/G | |||||
| M/A | % | M/A | % | M/A | % | OR | DR | TOT | ||||||||||||
| 2010 | 8 | 222 | 27:45 | 12/30 | 40 | 0/0 | – | 1/2 | 50 | 5 | 7 | 12 | 4 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 22 | 6 | 25 | 3.1 |
| TOTAL | 8 | 222 | 27:45 | 12/30 | 40 | 0/0 | – | 1/2 | 50 | 5 | 7 | 12 | 4 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 22 | 6 | 25 | 3.1 |
Legend: GP = Games Played; Min = Minutes; M/G = Minutes per Game; M/A = Made / Attempted; OR = Offensive Rebounds; DR = Defensive Rebounds; TOT = Total; AS = Assists; TO = Turn Overs; ST = Steals; BS = Blocked Shots;PF = Personal Foul; FO = Foul On; PTS = Points; P/G = Points per Game
Competitive Experience
| Level | Team | Location | Year(s) |
| International | Canada (SMNT) | Canada | 2008-Present |
| International | Canada (JMNT) | Canada | 1997; 2001 |
| Club (domestic) | National Academy | Canada | 2013-2016 |
| Club (domestic) | Variety Village | Ontario | 1996-Present |
Career Notes
2016: 11th place at the Paralympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil (Team Canada)… 4th Place at Continental Clash in Leicester, Great Britain (Team Canada)… 4th place at Toronto Challenge in Toronto, Canada (Team Canada)…
2015: 2nd place at Parapan American Games in Toronto, Canada (Team Canada)… 2nd place at Americas Challenge in Toronto, Ont. (Team Canada)… 4th place at Lakeshore Cup in Birmingham, USA (Team Canada)… 3rd place at 2015 CWBL National Championship with Variety Village Rebels and named All-Star in Scarborough, Ont. (domestic)…
2014: 5th place at the Easter Tournament in Blankenberge, Belgium (Team Canada)… 4th place at CWBL National Championship with the Variety Village Rebels in Burlington, Ont. (domestic)…
2013: 6th place at Americas Cup in Bogota, Colombia (Team Canada)… 2nd place at Kitakyushu Champions Cup in Kitakyushu, Japan (Team Canada)… 5th place at Easter Tournament in Blankenberge, Belgium (Team Canada)…
2012: 1st place at Paralympic Games in London, England (Team Canada)… 1st place at National Championship with Team Ontario & named All-Star in Richmond, B.C. (domestic)… 1st place at Continental Clash tournament in Worcester, England (Team Canada)… 2nd place at Papendal Tournament in Arnhem, Netherlands (Team Canada)…
2011: 3rd place at Parapan American Games in Guadalajara, Mexico (Team Canada)… 3rd place at International Tournament of Champions in Charlotte, USA (Team Canada)… 1st place at BT Paralympic Cup in Manchester, UK (Team Canada)… 2nd place at National Championships with Team Ontario & named All-Star in Longueuil, Que. (domestic)… 1st place at CWBL Open Finals with Variety Village & named All-Star in White Rock, B.C. (domestic)…
2010: 7th place at World Championship in Birmingham, UK (Team Canada)… 2nd place at BT Paralympic Cup in Manchester, UK (Team Canada)… 2nd place at National Championships with Team Ontario & named All-Star in Saskatoon, Sask. (domestic)… 2nd place at CWBL Open Finals with Variety Village & named All-Star in Coquitlam, B.C. (domestic)…
2009: 2nd at Americas Cup Qualifier & named All-Star in Richmond, B.C. (Team Canada)… 2nd place at Rollers World Challenge in Australia (Team Canada)… 3rd place at National Championship with Team Ontario & named All-Star in Montreal, Que. (domestic)… 5th place at CWBL Open Finals with Variety Village & named All-Star in Halifax, N.S. (domestic)…
2008: 2nd place at Paralympic Games in Beijing, China (Team Canada)… 2nd place at North American Cup in Birmingham, USA (Team Canada)… 1st place at Pre-Paralympic Test Series in Osnabrück, Germany (Team Canada)… 1st place at Good Luck Beijing Invitational Tournament in Beijing, China (Team Canada)… 3rd place at National Championships with Team Ontario in Vancouver, B.C. (domestic)…
2007: 3rd place at National Championship with Team Ontario in Winnipeg, Man. (domestic)…
2003: 3rd place at Canada Games with Team Ontario in Bathurst-Campbellton, N.B. (domestic)…
2001: 1st place at Men’s U23 World Championship in Blumenau, Brazil (Team Canada)…
1999: 1st place at Canada Games with Team Ontario in Corner Brook, N.L. (domestic)…
1997: 1st place at Men’s U23 World Championship in Toronto, Ont. (Team Canada)…