Anne-Fatoumata M’Baïro – Of Time and a Lifetime

18/04/2025

Born on 8 May 1993 in Toulon (France), Anne-Fatoumata M’Baïro won the first of her nine senior national first division podiums to date at the end of 2012, at a time when French women in the O78kg category were struggling to make an impact on the international stage – the last European and World medals in this category were both won in 2008 and 2007 by Anne-Sophie Mondière (Frédéric Lecanu‘s partner), and the last Olympic podium was in 1996 under Christine Cicot…. Since then, Émilie Andéol, Romane Dicko, Julia Tolofua and Léa Fontaine have come to the fore in this category, condemning the player, who is also the younger sister of two handball players, including former international Mariama Signaté, to a few runner-up places – including the titles of French champion in 2023 and 2024, as well as the pride of having given the Orléans team the winning point in the final of the Judo Pro League in January 2025. A participant in the 2017, 2018 and 2019 World Championships, the RSC Champigny fighter, like Travis Stevens from the United States, has often been forced to watch most of these championships from the stands. This perspective on the ephemeral – derisory? – of the exercise accelerated her awareness of the need to think beyond the immediate result. A view of the discipline that deserves to be questioned. – JudoAKD#034.

A French version of this interview is available here.

Your last international tournament till now was at the Paris 2025 Grand Slam, where you defeated Ukraine’s Ruslana Bulavina before losing in the second round to Israel’s Raz Hershko, the Olympic and World medallist and reigning European champion. Any regrets?

I felt I was in good form, but I’m still not satisfied. I don’t feel that I gave my best. I felt that this fight was within my grasp. In the end I think I let myself fall asleep. To be honest, I didn’t see the shidos coming, and they seemed harsh at times. That’s the game at this level, every mistake is judged harshly – well, sometimes I think so. Well, it wasn’t just anyone I was up against. I wasn’t up to the job, that’s what I remember and that’s the hardest part.

Then there was the French team championships, where for once your club RSC Champigny finished unranked…

I have to admit that I didn’t enjoy the championship at all. I was very tired and, to be honest, I suffered. The only thing to remember is that you have to bounce back. There are things that are encouraging and others that need to be erased, as always.

How do you feel at this point in the season? Do you see any openings in terms of selection?

I’ll be back for a while. To be honest, I don’t know how much, but I’ll be back for a while… In terms of openings, there really aren’t any. Given my category and status, I knew I had to perform at the Paris Grand Slam. When I say perform, I even mean win, because even a medal wouldn’t have opened many doors for me… I try to be philosophical about all this. I tell myself that there’s still a long way to go – or at least that there’s still a lot to do and, above all, that I still want to do things. That’s what drives me today. So I’m concentrating on the professional side of things. We’ll see about judo next year, because at the moment, to be honest, my season is over. I know that I am not going to go on any trips with my club or with the Federation.

It’s true that when I listened to you talking about your national title in Chalon-sur-Saône in November 2024, I got the impression that today’s competition is easier for you than the daily grind. Is that true?

I think that competition is actually easier to manage because my everyday life is very hectic and often difficult. As I said in Chalon, at 31 I feel closer to the end than the beginning. So I’m making it a point of honour to prepare my transition in the most intelligent way possible, and that requires a lot of preparation and thought.

What does that mean?

In other words, today I’m juggling my career as a top athlete, my final year of my Masters, my work-study programme and my company Keur Nani, which I’m launching in 2023. Judo is no longer the centre of my life, although it’s still very important. I think that’s what makes me approach things differently.

*« Today, I’m juggling my career as a top athlete, my final year of my Masters, my work-study programme and my company, Keur Nani, which I’m launching in 2023 ». ©DR/JudoAKD*

What is Keur Nani?

Keur means ‘home’ or ‘house of’ and Nani comes from ‘Nah’, which means ‘mother’ in Sousou, one of the languages spoken in Guinea Conakry, because I’m named after my great-grandmother who was called Nah. Keur Nani is a brand of table linen made from African fabrics. Its aim is to showcase the art of African textiles and promote their history beyond national borders. My dual Franco-African culture allows me to bring a modern touch to this legacy.

Franco-African or Franco-Guinean?

My father is Central African and my mother is Guinean, born in Senegal. In fact, she spent most of her life there. When I say Franco-African, it’s because Keur Nani’s main aim is to give Africa back its nobility through its textiles, while at the same time bringing my vision of Africa from the outside, which is more French in spirit. All this adds a touch of modernity. Keur Nani is also a way for me to showcase my dual culture – the country where I live and grow up every day on the one hand, and the countries of my origin, of which I am very proud, on the other.

How does this project fit in with your sporting career?

The Keur Nani project came about on the eve of a major competition – the Astana 2023 Grand Slam – because for me, African textiles and judo have a lot more in common than you might think.

What do you mean by that?

African textiles and judo share the same philosophy: that of transmission. In both worlds, unique skills are passed down from generation to generation with patience, precision and respect for tradition. Just as judo promotes respect and symbolism through the careers of its practitioners, African crafts tell a story of identity and authenticity through their designs and techniques.

Interesting…

I wanted to add a unique dimension to this project by highlighting the fact that each piece in the Keur Nani universe represents much more than just an object: it reflects values that are close to my heart, such as authenticity. As I said, it’s important for me to highlight my origins, which I’m proud of, and to celebrate the richness of this dual culture.

There’s a whole unwritten language that is expressed through the colours of the fabrics. It’s a very rich symbolic world, little known in the western countries. Can you give some examples?

African textile art is indeed very rich and has its own language. For example, thr epi (indigo) tissue is a traditional textile emblematic of West Africa, particularly prized for its deep blue color. It has been made for centuries and reflects a craft that has been handed down from generation to generation. The origin of the color indigo is a natural dye extracted from plants such as the indigo tree, which is at the heart of this fabric. In West Africa, artisans use traditional techniques to extract the dye, mainly by fermenting the leaves. The deep blue colour is obtained after several soaks and exposure to the air, where the chemical magic of oxidation takes place.

*« Just as judo promotes respect and symbolism through its practitioners, African crafts tell a story of identity and authenticity through their designs and techniques. ©DR/JudoAKD*

Here you are in November 2024 with your second consecutive national title, at the age of thirty-one, having previously won five bronze and two silver medals at this level, but never gold. Why this late maturity, in your opinion?

Late maturity, yes and no, because I’ve already done some great things on the different circuits, but it’s true that today I have a vision that I didn’t have before. A lot has happened and I’ve worked a lot on my patience, so that’s obviously reflected on the mat.

You seem to make a very clear distinction between competitive judo, which you know you’ll have to get away from one day, and pure judo, which you seem to want to be involved with for a long time. Not everyone is so clear in their career. Where does that come from?

I’ve been on the mat at Insep for a while now, so I’ve had time to observe and analyse what I want and what I don’t want. One thing I’ve always promised myself is that I don’t want to end up bitter. Judo has given me so much and continues to do so, so I want to give something back in my own way. I’ve also made very strong links with the younger players, not to mention my niece, who competes in the same category as me. I also made a promise to them that I wouldn’t let them down. And I intend to keep it.

You’ve had to squeeze in between Emilie Andéol’s best years (2014-2016) and the arrival of the Dicko-Tolofua-Fontaine generation, etc., and you’ve had to work hard to keep up. This often seemed to put extra pressure on you in the competitions you were able to win (I’m thinking in particular of the Tokyo World Championships in 2019, when you countered from the start by Serbia’s Milica Zabic). Looking back, how could you have handled that selections better?

I don’t think I needed to sneak in because I don’t think I have anything to be ashamed of. What people see is just the tip of the iceberg. I’m not talented, but I’m a hard worker. Every selection and every medal is the result of hard work… It’s true that at the time I often found it difficult to rejoice because, as I was rightly reminded, I had « never won an international competition ». I was hurt by those words and they still affect me today. But I keep things in perspective because I don’t know what tomorrow will bring. Winning is great, but progress is even better. That’s my philosophy.

Is competing in such a crowded category at national level an opportunity to progress, or is it a daily burden you’d rather do without?

Today the O78kg category is one of the most crowded in French judo, which wasn’t always the case. I’m very proud of that, especially in this era of body positivity and the promotion of women. The heavyweight category sends out a strong, positive message: it shows that sport is accessible to everyone and that it’s all a matter of attitude.

In the podcast Secrets de judokas, you explained to Pascaline Magnes, between the lines, the harshness of relations between athletes on a daily basis. There was that brawl in 2013, which I’m sure you don’t want to dwell on. My question is: how do we « socialise » on a daily basis in a sport that exacerbates rivalry and confrontation?

To be honest, I hit rock bottom after 2013, but that doesn’t mean I’m going to erase it from my past. It was extremely difficult to come back, but I always promised myself that I wouldn’t give up judo because of it. My mother always told me that it was important to take care of those around you. Well, during this time I quickly understood why.

What role can those around us play in helping to (re)connect when things get tense?

The people around us are our safe place. So when things get tense, it’s important to go back to the basics to regain our composure and get back on track. I think the people around us are an extension of ourselves. And when I said earlier that people only see the tip of the iceberg, that’s the period I’m referring to. A time when those around me saw me in unimaginable states, especially my mother, to whom I’m very close. But she always told me: « If this is what you want, hang in there. No matter how hard it gets, there’s nothing worse than regrets ». After a while you stop thinking about it because it becomes normal. But in the difficult moments, I think about my dreams and desires, and then I think about how far I’ve come, and I get motivated again. My « place » has evolved with my career. And today I’m « Mum » or « Auntie » Anne, the one who tries to take care of her children and her adopted nieces while enjoying judo!

« Auntie » Anne?

Yes. Today, my nieces are a real source of motivation for me. I learn so much from them by watching them, listening to them and sharing with them. Growing up with them is a real blessing. As far as my niece Bintibe Lang is concerned, nothing makes me prouder than to see her grow and fight to defend her choices. Seeing her progress and helping her write her own story is such a wonderful experience for me.

*« As for my niece Bintibe Lang, nothing makes me prouder than to see her grow and fight to defend her choices ». ©DR/JudoAKD*

In the difficult relationship you mentioned before, there’s the peculiarity of the heavy category, the way other people look at you, the jokes… Were there any difficult moments? How did you overcome them?

Nothing too bad, sometimes there are jokes, but it’s all in good fun. Besides, we’re pretty close, so we can help each other quickly.

You grew up in the south-east of France and moved to Paris when you were very young. Loïc Pietri and his father Marcel have often told me how difficult it is for athletes from the South East to « survive » the move to Paris, in the sense that they’re cut off very (too) early from their family and friends, and that there’s a real risk of losing their footing with the distance. How did you deal with that? I seem to remember that you have a sister on the French handball team. Were you able to support each other?

Yes, it’s very difficult when you come from far away. It takes time to adapt, but as I have two older sisters who played handball before me, I’ve been able to draw on their experience. Even though it’s a bit different because it’s a team sport and the pressure isn’t the same. As for me, I’ve tried to go home once a month, by train whenever it was possible. Yes, there’s definitely a sense of solidarity at that point, and that’s what helps you carry on.

Have you kept in touch with any of your childhood friends, or have you lost touch due to distance?

I haven’t managed to keep in touch with my childhood friends. The distance and the fact that we don’t share the same experiences makes it easier to lose touch… Generally speaking, top-level sport doesn’t necessarily mean uprooting, because we all have different ways of adapting. On the other hand, we know that « the tools » are there if we need them.

In an interview a few years ago, the former international Eva Bisseni told me that she regretted that the top level did not give young retired players a status in the sense that they could be good partners for young people in full swing. Given your interest in the issue of transmission, would that be something you’d like to see as a gentle way of stepping down when the time comes?

No, it’s not something that interests me personally. For me, handing over and stepping down comes naturally, so I don’t feel the need. Besides, you need to be in good physical shape to be a partner. Personally, I think I won’t be able to make the effort when it really comes to an end. For now, I’ll take what I can get until the time comes for me to retire.

If the Anne of 2025 could give some advice to the girl who, at the age of five, received her first white belt at the Marcel Perrin’s Dojo du Las in Toulon, what would she say?

I would tell her to have fun, to remember that everything that doesn’t kill you makes you stronger, and to work intelligently. I’d tell her not to listen to people who tell her she won’t succeed, not to listen to the mockery, that failure is not an obstacle, but a means to discover more about yourself and to grow. And I would also tell her that getting out of her comfort zone is the best thing she can do to achieve everything she needs to achieve, so that she has no regrets. – Interview by Anthony Diao, autumn 2024-winter 2025. Opening picture: ©Paco Lozano/JudoAKD.

A French version of this article is available here.

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