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In the afterglow of the FIFA Men’s World Cup, as the noise of packed stadiums and global celebrations begin to fade, football’s aura will linger. Far beyond the final whistle, the game will continue on professional pitches and dusty village fields, in city parks and school playgrounds, on beaches, in narrow streets, refugee settlements and improvised spaces marked out by stones, bags or discarded shirts. From The Gambia to Brazil, India to Iceland, football remains a shared language – one that promises joy, identity and inclusion.
Yet the game does not always welcome everyone equally. For people living with diabetes, misunderstanding can lead coaches, teammates and communities to focus on perceived limitations rather than ability. Stigma may push someone to hide their condition, while exclusion can deny them opportunities before they have a chance to show what they can do.
Although there is little global data measuring formal exclusion from sports teams, available research shows that people living with type 1 diabetes encounter widespread misconceptions, poorly prepared coaches and environments that can restrict participation or cause them to withdraw from team sport.
A 2023 Breakthrough T1D UK survey found that half of respondents felt type 1 diabetes held them back from exercise. Some 48% had been told that people with type 1 diabetes could not be physically active, while only 6% regularly encountered coaches, PE teachers or gym instructors who understood type 1 diabetes and physical activity.
The International Diabetes Federation (IDF) Europe region has also described an “entrenched stigma” that people with type 1 diabetes should not participate in professional or recreational sport. This is advocacy evidence rather than a prevalence study, but it supports the existence of the misconception across different countries.
Stigma may push someone to hide their condition, while exclusion can deny them opportunities before they have a chance to show what they can do
After being excluded from his football team because he had type 1 diabetes, Ousman Ceesay from The Gambia joined a newly formed team of players living with the condition. Ousman completed high school in 2018 and began diabetes advocacy and playing football in 2019. After experiencing discrimination, stigma and isolation from his coach in early 2021, he founded a football team for people living with diabetes to show that the condition should never limit anyone’s potential.
What happened next became a turning point in Ousman’s life.
He began the opening match on the bench. However, the decision was not a rejection. His coach trusted his ability to read the game and wanted him to study the opposition.
When he entered during the second half, the team captain handed him the armband. Within minutes, he rose to meet the ball and scored a powerful header. His team won 1–0.
The goal carried special meaning. The opposing coach was the same person who had previously doubted him because of his diabetes. Ousman chose not to celebrate in front of his former team. Even so, the moment delivered a clear message: living with diabetes did not erase his skill, leadership or ambition.
“It was one of the best games of my life,” he recalls. “I was teaching him a lesson. I have diabetes, but I can do things your players cannot do.”
For Ousman, the match did more than restore his confidence. It also revealed how powerful a visible example could be.
In his country, he explains, many people still have limited access to accurate diabetes information. Misconceptions can influence what families say, how communities respond and whether people feel safe discussing their condition.
Some people assume diabetes is simply caused by eating sugar. Others believe that a person living with diabetes must completely avoid foods such as rice or bread. These ideas oversimplify a complex condition and can increase fear or shame.
Ousman decided that silence would allow those beliefs to continue. At first, he offered peer support through home visits. He spoke with young people living with diabetes and helped families understand the daily realities of the condition. Those conversations mattered, but their reach was limited.
Then his brother suggested a different approach: social media.
Some people assume diabetes is simply caused by eating sugar. Others believe that a person living with diabetes must completely avoid foods such as rice or bread
Ousman began using Facebook, Instagram and TikTok to share information and lived experience. The change allowed him to reach people far beyond the homes he could visit in person.
His confidence comes from both experience and education. He knows what changing glucose levels feel like in his own body. He has also attended training sessions and conferences to build his knowledge.
“He who feels it knows it,” he says.
That belief shapes his advocacy. Healthcare professionals provide essential clinical expertise, while people living with diabetes bring knowledge developed through daily management. Ousman believes both perspectives deserve space.
His content covers common questions and explains that diabetes is not one single experience. For example, he discusses the differences between type 1, type 2 and gestational diabetes. As a result, followers who once knew only the word “diabetes” are beginning to understand that different forms of the condition have different management needs.
Recognition has followed. People now approach him in public after seeing his videos. They thank him, ask questions and share their own experiences.
For Ousman, every conversation is another chance to replace judgement with understanding.
Visibility can be powerful, but it also requires courage. Ousman has met people online who tell him they have diabetes but do not want anyone to know. Some have never seen another young person speak so openly about the condition.
His response is clear: do not be ashamed of yourself.
That message does not ignore the difficulties of diabetes. He has experienced high and low blood glucose, daily finger-prick checks and the constant decisions that management can require. Rather, he refuses to let those challenges become a reason for others to reduce his possibilities.
His humour also helps. He describes himself as an entertainer who can rap, sing and hold a room’s attention. This energy makes difficult conversations feel more approachable.
Consequently, his advocacy reaches beyond diabetes education. People living with other health conditions have also told him that his confidence motivates them to act, speak or pursue goals they had postponed.
Ousman's advocacy reaches beyond diabetes education. People living with other health conditions have also told him that his confidence motivates them to act
In 2022, after a severe episode of low blood glucose followed by a sharp rise in blood glucose, Ousman reflected on the unpredictability of living with diabetes. A later hospital visit and encounters with people facing serious hardship strengthened his perspective. While acknowledging the challenges of his condition, he adopted the phrase “All is well” as a reminder to value what he could still do and to practice gratitude without minimising the realities of diabetes.
After sharing “All is well” on WhatsApp, Ousman turned the phrase into a T-shirt design. The message quickly resonated with audiences, despite some questioning its optimism. He explained that well-being is not defined by money alone, but also by health, relationships and daily opportunities. With support from his brother, he produced an initial batch that sold out within a week, transforming a personal affirmation into a wider message of gratitude and resilience.
“All is well like never before” reflects Ceesay’s active optimism: acknowledging hardship, finding perspective through gratitude and taking action.
Beyond diabetes advocacy, Ousman uses his talents in music, poetry, graphic design and entertainment to connect with people, build confidence and creatively raise awareness. He hopes to take his diabetes advocacy to international audiences while remaining rooted in The Gambia and inspiring young people there. His growing platform reflects the message that diabetes does not diminish talent, leadership or ambition. For him, “all is well” means facing difficulty with gratitude, humour and action.
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