3x3 Basket Art promotes healthy living in Cape Verde

ISLAND OF SÃO VICENTE, (Cape Verde) - Through the 3x3 Basket Art Project, the Portuguese Basketball Federation is promoting healthy living habits within their communities in line with the FIBA Foundation’s Basketball for Good movement. Outdoor courts are refurbished with contemporary design in order to give youth and children opportunities to play and be active. With the support of the FIBA Foundation, they are bringing this project to Cap Verde.

Meet Kuart Almeida from Cape Verde, who, since February 2021, has been teaching basketball to children and teenagers in the Chã de Alecrim neighborhood, in the north of Mindelo. A 3x3 Basket Art court will be installed there.

 When asked when his passion for basketball started, Kuart Almeida has a very specific memory. "I've always had a passion for basketball, but I played football. The first person who put the ball in my hands was called Faraó, he was one of the best players in the area”, he recalls. “At that moment, I felt that basketball was my sport, and I put football aside. Then I started training at 15-16 years old”.

“When I play, I feel free. Thanks to this sport, I had the opportunity to meet new people, to exchange, because for me it is a universal sport. “, explains Kuart Almeida, “beyond a sport, it is a way of life. We have examples of great players who are community activists. And this is the path I want to follow”.

Quite naturally, Kuart Almeida therefore decided to pass on his passion to the young, and, since February 2021, he has launched a basketball school in the Chã de Alecrim district where he grew up. "It's a fantastic experience", underlines the latter, who shares his basketball knowledge and the basics of this sport with about forty children and teenagers from 8 to 16 years old, between two and four times a week. "I've always liked working with children, teaching them to play," explains Kuart Almeida, who also taught basketball in a primary school in the past.

He conducts his training on a small space, a half-court and a single basket hanging on the wall, in a corner of this open-air sports complex. "For me, basketball is a tool that can save lives, it's more than a hobby," he continues.

“My idea goes beyond basketball, because I consider this action as a social project, as a form of education and discipline. I see my intervention as a way to get children to believe that they are capable of succeeding, that anything is possible, to motivate them because life is about opportunities. Opportunities that some have and others don't.”

Kuart Almeida shares the FIBA ​​Foundation's 'Basketball For Good' philosophy and uses basketball to bring about social change in his community. “I want to give this opportunity to the children in my community, this opportunity to play basketball. Because they are the future of the country. As Amílcar Cabral said, “they are the flowers of the revolution”. My goal is to see them succeed in life. »

Kuart is delighted that a brand new 3x3 court, one of the three courts co-financed by the FIBA ​​Foundation within the framework of the Portuguese Basketball Federation’s 'Basket Art Project', is currently seeing the light of day a couple of steps away from the court where he coaches.

When asked about the difficulties that basketball encounters to develop in São Vicente, he also points to the lack of infrastructure. "In my opinion, we need more basketball courts, so that the practice becomes more frequent in all areas of the island," he says. But the obstacles are also in our head. We don't need a lot to do something, and we can't wait for someone to help us. If help arrives, it will always be welcome, but I do not intend to sit at home without doing anything until then,” continues Kuart Almeida. He also gave praise to the actions of the association 'Aminga', whose sports camp, launched in 2021 in Cape Verde, offer young people sports opportunities as well as education and well-being. “The ‘Aminga’ project is the best project carried out in São Vicente. We thank them and hope this happens every year. This is an additional motivation for young athletes, just like the "Basketball For Good" actions. I hope they will continue for young people here”.

On February 6, the Kuart Almeida basketball school celebrated its first candle. "We had prepared a big cake, we were all together to celebrate the birthday". Parabens!

 

About Basketball For Good: 

The FIBA Foundation is the social and legacy arm of FIBA that addresses the role of sports and particularly basketball in society, preserving and promoting basketball’s values and its cultural heritage. 

The FIBA Foundation believes that basketball has the power to empower, educate and inspire youth and facilitates this by implementing Basketball For Good projects around the world.