Continuing the Euroleague "One Team" program project, the first session between Wolves Twinsbet Vilnius and Lithuanian deaf children took place at the capital's "GG1" esports club.
During the event, participants were introduced to the NBA2K esports environment and tested their skills on the virtual basketball court, playing one of the world’s most popular sports video games.
At the beginning of the meeting, the children were introduced to the relationship between basketball and esports, with an emphasis on the importance of warming up in sports. Through esports, the goal was to teach the children essential basketball elements and the basics of healthy living.
The first session also featured Wolves Twinsbet club and "One Team" project ambassadors Darjuš and Kšištof Lavrinovič. They not only interacted with the children but also played a friendly game against each other, bringing joy to the event.
"This is not just an opportunity to have fun, and compete, but also to communicate with each other. It's nice to see that the kids enjoy the game. Everything feels like a real court," shared the Lavrinovič brothers after the game.
The competition on the virtual court can not only be a fun way to spend time but also an excellent training opportunity to improve basketball tactics and communication skills.
"It’s great to see the children’s real emotions. They feel like they’re on a real basketball court, enjoying their accurate shots, and having fun. You can see they understand basketball well, they control the players, pass the ball, and use screens," said the ambassadors, clearly impressed.
This was the first of four planned live sessions as part of the Euroleague "One Team" program, in cooperation with the Lithuanian Deaf Sports Union.
In upcoming sessions in February, the children participating in the project will compete in an internal tournament.
"Today's kids live in this virtual reality world. This is a great opportunity to apply the latest technologies to educate them about esports. This is the future," said the Lavrinovičiai brothers confidently.
At the end of last year, Wolves Twinsbet club also introduced its esports team, Wolves Esports, which will represent the club not only in Lithuania’s national competitions but also in various European tournaments and leagues.
(Photo by Elvis Žaldaris)