IPFS News Link • Entertainment: Sports
Spain's Olympic Basketball Team Takes Aim At U.S.
• http://www.npr.org, by Lauren FrayerSpain is a country that partied for days after winning the European Soccer Championships earlier this month.
At a school gym, you'll find Spaniards who actually know that. Basketball is growing in popularity among kids, especially girls.
"Basketball is a sport that's beautiful for me," says 13-year-old Lucia Gutierrez.
Gutierrez says her bedroom walls are plastered with posters of the Olympic team. Her teammate, 15-year-old María Lopez, chimes in.
"Basketball is a part of my life," Lopez says.
A generation ago, basketball became a fixture in Spanish schools, and now that's paying off as Spanish players make a mark far beyond their homeland.
"It's a lot of work, and a little bit of luck. You know?" says Borja Castejon, the head of the Basketball Federation of Madrid, who has trained several Olympians.