25 minutes agoMeet the basketball player who left America for Kosovo (Video)
Periskopi(8 years ago)
(8 years ago)Monasi Bolduk from New York, early this year, has become part of Pristina's women's basketball team. She is the first colored basketball player to play for the women's team for Pristina. The 25-year-old tells Radio Free Europe that she has found a host environment in Kosovo. Her day begins early [...]
She is the first colored basketball player to play for the women's team for Pristina.
The 25-year-old tells Radio Free Europe that she has found a host environment in Kosovo.
Her day starts early in the morning, exercise. After them she says she hangs out with friends of her team for lunch, which she shows are welcomed with open hands. Monaco also shows that sometimes it has to stay up late at night, as Kosovo has a time difference with the US, so it can be in touch with its family.
When I'm here and it's still happening that everyone stares. At first it was awkward and unpleasant, but then I got used to it. People are very friendly here, they're very good. When I get inside, sometimes they stare at me, sometimes they say hi and say hello. I haven't had a problem with anyone. No one has ever told me or done anything bad”, says Monaco Bolduk.
She describes basketball as her love. Bolduk says that when everything goes wrong, she finds refuge in the sport.
For me, basketball is everything. It's my place of happiness. Ever since I was young, when I started playing, even though I didn't want to play basketball, but when I started playing, I fell in love with him. And when everything goes wrong, my mind is full, I take refuge in basketball, and this helps me to relieve stress. It helps me to be in a better place, whenever I'm in field”, she tells me.
Monaco says more opportunities must be created for women to engage in sports in Kosovo.
From what I see here, I can say there's not much chance of a U.S. basketball game, especially for women. I see there are more men's teams than women. I also see that sports are not promoted, at least basketball. At younger age, if you don't know a lot of people here who are involved in sports, you're probably not going to be in sports. That's what I've seen. I think it's very important and I think there should be more opportunities for children to take sports, not paying for it”, says basketball player.
According to her, basketball is not only a sport for men, even women can be successful, too.
