Becky Bonner starts a passing drill with Kazakh SportsUnited participants.

NBA Legend Sam Perkins and Becky Bonner, Director of Operations for the University of Louisville’s Women’s Basketball program,  spent nine days in Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan conducting basketball clinics, visiting schools, and interacting with a wide range of students, officials, and athletes. The sports envoys traveled from August 17 – 24 under the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs’ International Sports Initiative, in partnership with the NBA. 

Ms. Bonner and Mr. Perkins began their trip by attending Astana City Sports Day, where they put on a short clinic for a group of young, enthusiastic Kazakhstani basketball players. The next day, the envoys ventured to the outskirts of Astana to visit a shelter for disadvantaged youth. There the envoys and embassy representatives presented two portable basketball goals and 10 basketballs to an eager group of kids and administrators. Leaving the capital, the envoys journeyed to the Silk Road town of Taraz where they spent two days working with more than 100 boys and girls at a summer enrichment camp. The envoys were joined by a number of Peace Corps volunteers who assisted them in conducting basketball drills, games, and a skills contest.

Ms. Bonner and Ms. Perkins then traveled to Kyrgyzstan’s capital Bishkek, where they participated in an appearance with famous Kyrgyz athletes and officials, talked with school kids at a library, and ran a mini-streetball tournament.  They also traveled outside of the capital to conduct two training camps in the regions of Kyrgyzstan.  Each camp was attended by over 150 boys and girls.