A group of young Kyrgyz basketball players visited the United States

On March 21, a group of seven young basketball players and two coaches from Kyrgyzstan traveled to the United States on a program sponsored by the U.S. Department of State, the National Basketball Association (NBA), and the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA).  The delegation was made up of survivors of the August 24, 2008, airplane crash, which killed ten of the seventeen members of their squad.

The group spent ten days in the United States participating in basketball training, visiting local schools, and attending a Washington Wizards game.  Their program included a meeting with NBA legend Sam Perkins and a visit to the NCAA Hall of Fame.  At the Press Conference at the Kyrgyz National News agency Kabar Ambassador Tatiana Gfoeller said, “We all hope that it will be a positive and memorable experience for the team and a symbol of the friendship between the American and the Kyrgyz peoples.” ambassador's remarks