Greatest National Basketball Player, Ticha Penicheiro he is also an icon of Portuguese sport. The WNBA legend and former Portuguese international was invited by the Portuguese Football Federation to participate in the Football Talks 2022which took place in the City of Football.
With the president of the Portuguese Basketball Federation, Manuel Fernandesin attendance, and alongside, Andreas Matosfrom Channel 11, Catarina Araújocouncilor of CM Porto, Luís Araújopresident of Turismo de Portugal, Paulo SalgadoProfessor at the University of Minho, and Luís Figoformer international for the national football team, Ticha Penicheiro was talking about sport and its role as a promotional vehicle for Portugal in the world.
“It was a surprise when they contacted me to be part of this panel”, confessed the former base, who is part of the group of the 15 best players of all time in the WNBA. “While I played I always tried to take Portugal as far as possible, and maybe that’s why my image goes beyond just that of a basketball player”, she explained.
Currently residing in the United States, where he spent much of his career as a result of playing in the WNBA, Ticha Penicheiro explains how the image of the Portuguese athlete has changed abroad: “The image is quite different when compared to 1994 when I arrived in the United States, many did not know where Portugal was”, he recalls.
“I think the successes in football, which is the king sport in Europe, as well as social media, have helped a lot. Currently, they look at us with another respect”, he observes.
When approached about the impact that playing abroad has on Portuguese athletes, the Commander of the Order of Infante D. Henrique elaborates: “Focusing on the United States, I think they have conditions that do not exist in Portugal or Europe, especially when it comes to reconciling studies with sports practice. These circumstances allow young people to grow, not only as sportspeople, but also as people,” she concludes.
FPB
6 SET 2022
