Hoop Dreams of Mexico's Indigenous Youth Provide Hope in 'Forgotten' Region Jo Tuckman - The Guardian | |
go to original April 28, 2014 |
The NBA's Spurs played barefoot with the Triqui team in Oaxaca last December. (laaficion)
EL RASTROJO, Mexico - Froylán Martínez's bare feet pounded the concrete court without a sound as he steamed past his opponents, but the spectacular show of speed ended with a disappointing shot at the hoop high above his head. Undeterred, the diminutive 10-year-old – a rising star of Mexican indigenous basketball spun to pursue the ball, and keep chasing his dream.
"I want to play in the NBA," Froylán said after the game, which launched trials for an internationally successful team drawn from the isolated Triqui indigenous people in southern Mexico. "I'm fast but I need to work on my shots."
When a former professional basketball player set out to find fresh talent here four years ago, the Triqui region was primarily known for its inter-clan feuds, political violence and underage brides. Now the Mexican Academy of Indigenous Basketball, and its remarkable team, have become a symbol of hope forged in adversity.
"This is about noticing the talent of indigenous people who have been forgotten by their own country," said Sergio Zúñiga, who now hopes to replicate the experiment in indigenous communities across the country. "If we could build all this out of nothing, the future of Mexico can change too."
Read the rest at The Guardian
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