Martim Queiroz and Martim Leonardo, teammates in the Algarve under 16 selection, are the mirror of the dream of so many young people who are participating in the Youth Basketball Party: they want to be professional players. The competition brings together, until tomorrow, Sunday, April 16th, 1500 athletes from all over the country in Albufeira, eager to show what they are worth.
Basketball runs in Martim Queiroz's veins.
Brother of Miguel Queiroz, FC Porto player and Portuguese international, he sees in him the great example to follow.
«My dream is to be like my brother», he tells the report of Sul Informação, at the end of another match.
The game did not go well for the under-16 team from the Algarve, which lost 49-71 against the Porto counterpart, but that does not affect Martim's joy at participating in the Basketball Festival.
′′ It's always great to play this competition. I have friends on all national teams and it's amazing to play with so many people», considers the Portimonense athlete.
As for the performance of the Algarve selection, he guarantees that they will fight to «stay in the best possible place».
Next to him is Martim Leonardo, who is making his debut at the Youth Basketball Festival. Farense player, he says that the experience has been «fantastic».
«The whole team is enjoying this conviviality, this opportunity to play against the best in the country», he considers, to our newspaper.
For Martim Leonardo, whose big dream is also to be a professional player, having an initiative like the Youth Basketball Festival in the Algarve is “very good”.
«We have our friends here, our family. Basically, we are playing at home », she shoots.
Mário do Ó has been the coach of the under-16 team in the Algarve for two years and sees «a lot of potential» in the region’s athletes.
«Our young people need this competition, this intensity, because we don't usually have the opportunity to play against these selections», he tells the Sul Informação.
In the opinion of the coach, who also guides Bonjoanenses (Faro), the Algarve selection has «promising players», but who need «to be worked on».
«There is an increase in the quality of players in our region and the party has, in fact, contributed to encourage both athletes and clubs in the region», adds Mário do Ó.
Furthermore, the impact of the Youth Basketball Festival in Albufeira gained, on the 12th of April, another boost.
At the end of the morning, four outdoor basketball courts were inaugurated in Vale's garden Faro, in Albufeira, within the scope of the “3×3 Basket Art” project.
The moment was attended by José Carlos Rolo, mayor of Albufeira, and Manuel Fernandes, president of the Portuguese Basketball Federation, who praised the inauguration of this equipment in a land that “breathes” basketball.
The floor of the fields was painted by Asur, an artist from Albufeira who dedicates himself to graffiti.
It features the two local clubs – Imortal and Clube de Basquete de Albufeira -, as well as iconic sites in the city, such as the Torre do Relógio.
The job, «which was complicated» and arose from an invitation from the local council, has a special meaning for Asur, as he is «a son of the land».
«I had already seen other fields and, in all of them, big stars are represented. I also painted two players, but I caught more for the Albufeira community, for the youth we have here and for the dream they have of being players», he concludes.
Photos: Pedro Lemos | Sul Informação
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