Global Life joins hands with professional basketball star Alassa to organize the "My Basketball Dream" charity event and visits seven rural elementary schools to promote sports equality

Football star Alassa and Vice President of Global Life Insurance Xiao Naixin and representatives of Pingxi’s principal. (Photo by reporter Nian Miaoyun)

[Reporter Nian Miaoyun/Comprehensive Report] The National Primary School Sports Association and Global Life have long been committed to promoting the development of grassroots sports. The "Dream Realization Project" that the two parties have been working on since 2016 has officially entered its tenth milestone this year. In order to implement love and responsibility and implement "sports equality", Global Life held the "My Basketball Dream" charity event today, and specially invited the foreign basketball player Joof AlaSan of the Yankees to go to Shifen Elementary School to practice basketball with other students from Jingtong Elementary School, Ganlin Elementary School, Fulian Elementary School, Shanglin Elementary School, Pingxi Elementary School and Mudan Elementary School to break the gap in sports resources between urban and rural areas.

Alassa, who usually has a fierce playing style on the court, immediately transformed into a warm and friendly big brother after entering the campus. He smiled with the students throughout the process and taught them dribbling and shooting skills. In an interview, Alassa said that because he also has a seven- or eight-year-old brother in his hometown of Gambia, he is particularly fond of children. "Children are a gift from God. Seeing their innocent and enthusiastic appearance makes me enjoy spending time with them."

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Wu Zhonglin, principal of Shishi Elementary School. (Courtesy of Global Life)

Alassa also shared with the schoolchildren his journey of training hard and overcoming setbacks in a foreign land, and encouraged everyone to be brave enough to pursue their dreams. At the same time, he also made an emotional wish to build a shelter in his home country of Gambia in the future to provide shelter for displaced orphans and build a standard basketball court to improve the sports environment in his hometown.

Wu Zhonglin, principal of Landlord Shifen Elementary School, pointed out emotionally that rural areas have long been faced with the challenges of population migration, low birthrate and aging population, but the school never gives up giving children a stage and firmly believes that through "sports", they can stimulate their potential and activate their brains. The school promotes a variety of sports in the early morning, including basketball, bell ringing, unicycling and small iron man. Teachers and students even challenged the north and main peaks of Hehuan Mountain. Although there were only 4 boys in the senior class of Shifen Elementary School last year, they still won the runner-up in the three-on-three bullfighting competition in the Ruifang District. The teachers and students also won the first and second runner-up in the free throw contest, showing their strong sportsmanship. In academic and environmental education, they also won the National Silver Award for Teaching Excellence, the Reading Rock Award and many other awards.

Football star Alassa and Global Life Vice President Xiao Naixin took photos with school children in Pingxi. (Courtesy of Global Life)

Chen Huanxiu, Chairman of the National Primary School Sports Association, believes that Global Life and the Primary School Sports Association travel across mountains and rivers to remote villages every year to deliver warmth to schoolchildren who love basketball. He is very happy to be able to cooperate with Global Life for many years and continue to deliver love to remote schools. Even if today encounters a heavy rain that is rare in a century in this area, he is not afraid of difficulties and insists on delivering supplies and love. This spirit is really admirable.

In an interview after the event, Xiao Naixin, deputy general manager of Global Life's Brand and Public Relations Department, said that Global Life's "Dream Realization Project" has expanded from supporting a single campus to taking root in regions. It has always adhered to the corporate spirit of "because of love, responsibility" and joined hands with forces and stars from all walks of life to go to rural areas. It not only builds a sports stage for children to bravely pursue their dreams, but also complements the sports and local creative spirit that Shifen Elementary School is committed to, and continues to convey warm and firm hope at the grassroots level.

Professional basketball star Alassa (left) and Xiao Naixin, deputy general manager of Global Life Brand and Public Relations Department (provided by Global Life)

Professional basketball star Alassa interacts with school children. (Courtesy of Global Life)