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(Left-right) Sam Perkins meets with El Hadj Amadou Dia Ba, the first Olympic medalist from Senegal, Director of the Sport Development Center (IAAF) and Honorary Chair of Special Olympics Senegal. |
Sam Perkins, known as “Big Easy” was co-captain of the gold medal-winning 1984 U.S. Olympic basketball team, a member of the 1982 NCAA Champion North Carolina Tarheels, and a successful NBA player for 15 years. Now he's helping bring the game he loves to Special Olympics Senegal athletes, launching a basketball program in that West African country on 17 April 2008.
The new program, a first for Special Olympics Senegal, was announced at a press conference at the Institut National De l'Education Populaire et du Sport in Dakar.
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Sam Perkins and leaders from various sports and education initiatives met in Senegal on 15 April: (left-right Mrs. Lala Aicha, Special Olympics Senegal Board Chair; Charles Takouet, Manager of Program Development, Special Olympics Africa; Perkins; El Hadj Amadou Dia Ba, Honorary Chair of Special Olympics Senegal; Ms.Emilie Ndiaye, Assistant Director for El Hadj Dia Ba; Mr.Leopold Germain Senghor, Director of the University Sports Department; Mr. Macta Ndiaye, a staff member for the SEED Foundation. |
"It's truly a privilege to be here in Senegal to launch this important basketball program for Special Olympics," said Perkins. "I've had the pleasure to host and participate in many events and skills camps with Special Olympics through my involvement with the NBA Cares program, but to be here in Senegal to see the eyes of these athletes when you introduce them to the great sport of basketball, many for the first time, is something that touches me deeply and I'll remember for a long time."
Special Olympics Senegal has 70 registered athletes and now, with the launch of the basketball program, offers three sports, including athletics and aquatics. The new program will provide a means for the Program to continue to grow along with the rest of the region, where more than 100,000 athletes now train and compete year-round.
“It's always exciting to launch a new sport or program anywhere in the world,” said Dr. John Dow, Regional Managing Director for Special Olympics Africa. “To have a legend like Sam Perkins here to launch the program and to do it in a place like Senegal that is so receptive and in need of the hope that a program like Special Olympics Senegal provides to people with intellectual disabilities makes it even more exciting. Sam has been a big supporter of Special Olympics and his coming here to launch the basketball program will be something that the athletes will remember for the rest of their lives.”
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Sam Perkins (third from left) visited the Estel School, a specialized school in Senegal, where he met with Special Olympics athletes. |
While in Senegal this week, Perkins met with Professor Hassane Fall, Director of the National Sports Academy, and El Hadj Amadou Dia Ba, Special Olympics Senegal Honorary Chair and silver medalist in the 1988 Summer Olympics. Perkins visited Special Olympics Senegal athletes at both the Estel School and Assedem School for children with intellectual disabilities to share the messages of hope and empowerment that the new basketball program's launch brings to Senegal, and also asked for the African government's support for the new initiative.
Perkins became involved with Special Olympics through the NBA Cares Program as he participated in multiple basketball clinics around the world. Earlier this month, he was in California, USA where he held a skills camp for athletes with intellectual disabilities. While in California, Perkins participated in the celebration of a newly announced partnership between Special Olympics and Safeway grocery stores. Perkins attended the 2007 Special Olympics World Summer Games in Shanghai and spoke to world leaders at the Global Summit. |
