A team of 25 children from the Triqui indigenous community of Oaxaca, one of the poorest communities in Mexico, taught everyone a lesson in effort and passion this weekend when they became the indisputable champions of the fourth International Minibasketball Festival in Argentina.
The children's team stood out from the beginning of its participation in the tournament due to them not wearing sports shoes in court. The Triqui children practice the sport in the same manner they carry out their daily lives: barefooted.
The children's participation in Argentina surprised and excited spectators who watch the team impose itself in the 6 matches they played, all won with a wide advantage with scores such as 86-3 against Celestes; 22-6 against the University of Córdoba; 72-16 against Central; 82-18 against Hindú; 44-12 against Monteéis and 40-16 against Regatas de Mendoza, reported news network CNN on its website.
Besides their impressive performance in the court, the Triqui children moved basketball fans because as they take pride in their indigenous origins, the little Mexicans also made evident the environment of poverty in which their community lives, which prevents many indigenous children from buying sports shoes.
"The children train barefooted, walk all the time barefooted. It's their culture, but there's also no resources to buy shows", their trainer, Sergio Zúñiga shared, quoted by CNN.
"Barefooted Giants From The Mountain"
The also called "Barefooted Giants from the Mountain" dominated the sports festival which was celebrated between October 11 and 14 in the city of Córdoba, 700km from Buenos Aires in which eight thousand children from eight countries participated.
According to newspaper Excélsior, Emanuel Sánchez, chief of press for the sports commission of the government of Oaxaca, said that the children are supported with shoes, unfirms and 600 pesos monthly scholarships.
The sports program promoted by Oaxaca authorities asks that the Triqui children go to school, keep a grade superior to 8.5, speak their native tongue and help with house chores to be able to be a part of the basketball team.
"It's beautiful to see that all the negative factors the children had became their weapons. Hunger and poverty motivated them. It's something we lack in the rest of Mexico: character, steadiness, inner strength. They're an example to everyone, even me, that it can be done", the children's trainer said in an interview with the Basketball Federation of the Province of Córdoba (FBPC), quoted by CNN.
You can see a video of the pride of Mexico here:
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