DETROIT (AP) — For Muslim teens who play high school sports, observing Ramadan and its monthlong fasting from sunrise to sunset is a challenge.
The holiday began this year on Nov. 6, during football playoffs and other games. Muslims refrain from eating and drinking from dawn to dusk during what they consider their holiest time of the year.
Despite the difficulties, many in the Detroit area are running, tackling and winning games on empty stomachs and parched throats.
"You get tired," said Abdullah Babar, a 17-year-old senior at Bloomfield Hills Lahser High. "You get really tired fast."
The Detroit area has one of the largest Muslim populations in the United States.
In Dearborn, all but four of the 65 players at Fordson High School football team are Muslim. Fordson coach Jeff Stergalas said Ramadan, based on a lunar calendar, fell this year right before a tough playoff game. He arranged a dinner so his players could break their fast together after playing.
Babar also played with his team in a playoff game this month. He practiced all week without food and water, and kept the fast on game day.