Some rare good news from Florida…
Two young Triqui basketball teams qualified to participate in the International Tournament YBOA (Youth Basketball of America) in Orlando, Florida this month. They are from the Academia de Baloncesto Indígena México (ABIM), an athletic project founded by professor Sergio Zúñiga, with the mission of “rescuing the youth of the Triqui communities of Oaxaca from the extreme poverty and violence that they live in… to better the lives of these kids through sports and education.” Read their story, including why they play barefoot, HERE.
The tournament has ended and, though they did not win the tournament championship, they won hearts and (one can only hope) minds. To me, these young ambassadors were winners in the important ways that matter. ¡Felicitaciones!
For video of the team playing and information about the documentary that is being made about these kids, take a look at the blog, Mexico’s Barefoot Champions.
October 2013 update: They came and saw and conquered: Triqui sweep in World Basketball
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[…] As I’ve mentioned before, Oaxaca is one of the most indigenous and (no surprise) one of the poorest states in Mexico. And, the Triqui of the Mixteca region of Oaxaca are some of the state’s poorest residents. They have recently come to the attention of sports lovers, as a result of the heartwarming story of their youth basketball team, dubbed the Barefoot champions of the mountains. […]