Matamoros (Mexico), March 14 While waiting for the right moment to cross into the United States, a group of Haitians are sweeping the Mexican border city of Matamoros these days as part of a basketball group that is revolutionizing the court. “The basketball team has helped them a lot to raise their self-esteem, to entertain themselves. And so that they know they can do something,” the director of the shelter, Samuel Isaí Reyna Ruiz, told EFE on Monday, a space that currently houses some 200 people. He had the idea of placing two baskets in the courtyard of the shelter and organizing games inside the shelter, as part of the sports and cultural activities carried out by this support space for migrants arriving in the northeastern state of Tamaulipas, on the border. North of mexico. What started almost as a joke is now a reality that has motivated Haitian and Mexican migrants, as well as their coach of Venezuelan origin, to make an effort on the court and maintain a good rhythm that has given them 4 wins and just one defeat in the tournament. Confident in their talent, when it comes to dreaming and turning it into reality, the migrants are persevering: they try to train on the improvised playing field at the shelter, and sometimes they go out to public sports units to exercise. The team has the dream of becoming champions in the independent league that is played in Matamoros. SURPRISE TEAM Border residents, accustomed to playing with people from various regions of Mexico, were surprised when they saw Haitian players enter the field and compete using the language barrier and physical appearance, such as their height, to their advantage. “Suddenly people from other countries came (to the league) and they were kind of surprised (the other players). But as they began to see them play, they gained respect, and today they play in complete comfort,” says Reyna Ruiz. The uniform they wear, donated by altruists, explains their presence in the region. It is a yellow shirt with the slogan “Refugees”, and in the central part you can see a migrant walking with his backpack through the desert and in front of him some buzzards (vultures). An image that is flanked by the flags of various countries and the phrase “Migrants with attitude.” “I see a lot of positive attitude and good vibes from parts of them. A lot of dedication, a lot of dedication,” the team’s Venezuelan coach, Juan Bautista, told Efe. THE HAITIAN LEBRON JAMES During the game, the migrants forget their difficult situation and play and run without complexes, as they may have had to run to reach this border. Thus escaping from reality. One of them is Lenos Dorvilien, an imposing 1.96 meter tall Haitian who has earned the nickname of LeBron James, in honor of the American basketball star. Lenos arrived in Matamoros two months ago and joined the team shortly after: “I feel happy, I have a coach who has trained me well. And everyone calls me Lebron James”, expresses the player. Refugiados Team also has among its ranks the most outstanding player in the league so far. This is the Caribbean Junior Elpenord, who previously trained this same sport in Haiti, and who today holds the highest number of points accumulated in the matches. “He feels great about doing it, he trained a lot and he knows he can do even better,” says his translator and fellow team member Luc Arthur St. German. At the end of each game they get back on the truck that transports them. Not without first shaking hands with the opponents and thanking them for the respect and coexistence during the confrontation. The director of the refuge, as well as the players, know that Refugees Team has a future because, although some will manage to cross to the United States to continue pursuing their dreams, some other foreigner who arrives in the city of Matamoros and has the desire to jump onto the field. The region is experiencing a record flow to the United States, whose Customs and Border Protection (CBP) office detected more than 1.7 million undocumented immigrants on the border with Mexico in fiscal year 2021, which ended on September 30. Mexico deported more than 114,000 foreigners in 2021, according to data from the country’s Ministry of the Interior. The Mexican authorities have intercepted 73,034 foreigners with an irregular stay in national territory between January 1 and March 8 of this year, as recently reported by the National Migration Institute (INM). Abraham Pineda-Jacome
