As Team China point guard Zhao Jiwei dribbled the basketball on the court of a remote elementary school in the mountainous areas of Southwest China's Yunnan province, a group of students, much shorter than him, fearlessly took turns trying to steal the ball before he could attempt a lay-up.

Students and teachers of Nanlingxiang central elementary school in Lancang Lahu autonomous county, Yunnan province, pose for photos and interact with Chinese basketball star Zhao Jiwei. CHINA DAILY

Perched on a hillside in Nanling township in Lancang Lahu autonomous county, the school, a four-hour drive away from the nearest airport in Pu'er city, currently accommodates more than 1,800 students and nearly 100 staff members.

As the basketball ambassador for Puma, Zhao's visit to Nanlingxiang central elementary school is part of a charity project launched by the German sportswear brand in 2019.

Every year, the initiative brings a team of volunteers to the elementary school to support the development of its sports education through equipment donations, training sessions, sports events and conducting home visits with students.

This marks Zhao's second visit to the school since 2022.

"Every time I come, I see some children playing barefoot, unrestrained by rules and not overly concerned about falling. When they do fall, they immediately get up and continue playing," Zhao said.

"I can feel their love for basketball as a sport and their eagerness to learn more skills."

On Monday, Zhao coached members of the school's basketball team, running drills in shooting, dribbling and tactics, as well as organizing a match between the boys' and girls' teams.

Luo Xinglong, a 12-year-old fifth-grade student, shared that he began watching CBA matches following Zhao's visit two years ago, gradually improving his basketball skills and eventually becoming the captain of the school team.

"I love the feeling of my teammates cheering for me when I score during the games," Luo said.

Last year, Luo, along with some teachers and his fellow schoolmates, were invited by Puma to travel to Shanghai, where they visited various exhibits at the 2023 China International Import Expo.

The trip also included visits to attractions such as the Shanghai Natural History Museum and the Shanghai Astronomy Museum to broaden their horizons.

"We hope such endeavors will open up more possibilities for the children," said Wang Qi, head of the charity program.

Wang mentioned that, at the program's inception, Puma only donated supplies including uniforms, shoes and sports equipment. Later, they selected staff from their Shanghai headquarters to serve as volunteers who would visit the school for a week as teachers, conducting special interest classes.

"The classes included basketball skills, music lessons and dance instruction, and later expanded to include psychological counseling sessions and hygiene classes for girls," Wang explained.

He personally volunteers as a teacher every year, and is proud to be known as "Teacher Superman" by the students.

This year, he plans to stay for three weeks, and will teach English to sixth graders and Chinese to fourth graders.

"Every year that I come here to teach is the happiest and most relaxing time for me. I feel that, maybe, after retirement, I might become a full-time teacher here," he said.

Wang emphasized the importance of building confidence in the children through interaction.

"At the beginning, the kids were a bit hesitant to speak when they saw us, but now they have changed a lot," Wang said.

This change is evident in how the young students fearlessly swarm to challenge Zhao on the court when he attacks with the ball.

It is also evident in how the children confidently approach and greet new faces, saying "hello, teacher", when they encounter new volunteers.

Wang noted that the volunteers' time at the school is limited, so Puma started organizing trips for local teachers to visit Shanghai.

By influencing the teachers, they can help more students.

Zhang Jinchun, the vice-principal of the elementary school, attended one of the trips with other representatives of the school's faculty.

During the trip, they visited Puma China's headquarters, elementary schools and the sports bureau in the city's Huangpu district to discuss and learn about the latest methods of designing sports classes.

He pointed out that the lack of professional sports teachers and adequate sports equipment is a pressing issue for the school's development of sports education.

"Every year, when Puma's volunteers come to our school, they share some good experiences in course design with us," he said.

"I gained a lot from the trip. After returning, I hope to share what I saw and heard with the students, inspiring them to aspire to explore the outside world, and thereby promote their enthusiasm for learning," said Zhang.

That enthusiasm is encapsulated by Li Mingzhu, a 10-year-old basketball enthusiast at the school. She displays agility and speed on the court, with accurate mid-range shooting and the courage to take crucial shots.

She is a devoted fan of NBA star Stephen Curry.

"I love the feeling of being trusted by my teammates on the court. Every time they pass the ball to me, I feel excited," she said.

To date, she has never left her hometown, but she is determined to study hard and play basketball well, hoping to be selected by Puma for its next trip to Shanghai.