When Aguolieha first picked up a basketball, she had never thought that her life would be changed.
Commonly called Aguo-mo in the Yi ethnic language, the 13-year-old has spent most of her life in a mountainous village in Liangshan Yi Autonomous Prefecture, southwest China. Unlike her city counterparts whose eyes are glued to electronic screens, Aguo-mo spends most of her free time chitchatting with her parents and siblings, jumping and running around the hills, cutting grass for the pigs, and playing a game of basketball in the public square.
Although literally mountains apart, basketball has taken a group of Yi children, including Aguo-mo, to big cities and even abroad.
Coach Amu
The children's transformation can be traced back to their coach Waeramu (Amu), and even further back. The region already had a strong basketball tradition since the 1970s. There was little in the way of entertainment back then, and playing a game of basketball didn't require much. So, people there did just that: they met in the only public square in the village to catch and throw a ball to kill time.
Coach Waeramu in a training session. /CGTN
Coach Amu fell in love with the sport when he was a little boy. Years later when his peers went looking for work in bigger cities, as many young adults of his generation often did, he followed suit and worked in a city. But he soon decided that it wasn't his calling. He took a risk and moved back home to teach local kids basketball.
Going against the tide wasn't easy. When the kids finally started to bring home trophies, Amu had successfully convinced the locals that leaving the mountain wasn’t the only way out. He now works as a fulltime coach and acts as a bridge between the village and the outside world for the kids.
Aguo-mo
Aguo-mo was handpicked by her coach, Amu. She’s tall, agile and willing to learn. Her experience of farm work also gave her amazing stamina. One groundbreaking fact is that there wasn’t the luxury of having a boy and a girl team in the small village, so Amu always trained a mixed squad with whoever signed up and stayed. The county also accepted them as the sole Blackhawk team when they compete, since black hawks are the symbol of the Yi people.
Aguolieha or Aguo-mo in her Blackhawk jersey. /CGTN
Aguo-mo is the youngest daughter in her family. By the time she was old enough to go to school, her parents had seen and learned enough to believe that education and a skill could carry their daughter far in life. Therefore, when Aguo-mo wanted to get serious with basketball, they supported her as long as she finished her school assignments.
Her parents' backing was the first step. Aguo-mo poured her sweat into training and helped her team win games. Recently, she was given a Most Valuable Player award and received a medal from a national team player. Her dad shares the photo in pride.
Kobe-re
Coming from the same village as Aguo-mo, Guguluojiazi's path to basketball was more challenging. For the Yi people, a young son is recognized by adding the syllable "re" after the family name. Guguluojiazi admires the late basketball legend Kobe Bryant, and is known to everyone as Kobe-re.
Guguluojiazi or Kobe-re in black shirt playfully compares height with his friends. /CGTN
If Aguo-mo's challenge was competing against boys to make it into the official team, Kobe-re's test was his height. Unlike Kobe Bryant, Kobe-re is only of average height. He took a trial to enrol as a basketball student at a new school but did not pass the test because of his height.
13-year-old boy Guguluojiazi poses for a photo in Yi ethnic clothing. /CGTN
After the failed trial, Kobe-re didn't show up for training for some time, until coach Amu told him that there was always a place for him in the Blackhawks. Though Kobe-re won't become a professional player in the future, his skills still excel in a young talent team. And Amu was right: Kobe-re kept scoring points and boosting team morale after his return.
The Blackhawks are a team of, and for, the children of Liangshan Yi Autonomous Prefecture. For a region that is not economically affluent, their love for basketball brought them joy and gave them options. They can still leave the mountain if they want to, not for their livelihood, but to meet other kids on the court. Both Aguo-mo and Kobe-re want to become basketball coaches like Amu when they grow up, to help the next generation of kids shine.
More stories on inspiring and gifted kids: Incredible Young Talents