From Detroit to the World: Omar’s Friendship Games Experience
February 2, 2025
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When 14-year-old Omar arrived at the Friendship Games this past summer, he didn’t know what to expect. Although Friendship Games was coming to his hometown of Detroit, and he didn’t have to travel for the experience, it was different than anything he’d experienced before. “I loved getting out there, being able to play basketball, and meeting people from all the different sites.”
For Omar, basketball was the starting point — but not the whole story. He loved the competition, especially the 3-on-3 tournament. Yet what stayed with him most was the chance to connect with people his own age from around the world. “I haven’t really been able to do that in my life and just actually having that opportunity was great.“
Meeting young people from different countries opened Omar’s eyes to cultural differences — and similarities — in unexpected ways. He found himself talking often with participants from Northern Ireland, a group he felt especially connected to. “I talked to the people from Northern Ireland a lot,” he said. “They had a good sense of humor. And they were pretty nice.”
Beyond Northern Ireland, Omar embraced learning from others as well. “The girls from the Middle East were teaching me Hebrew and Arabic,” he said. “That was pretty cool.” These exchanges, big and small, helped Omar realize how much people from different places have in common. “You really are able to see how similar people are, even though we’re in completely different countries,” he reflected. “I feel like it really helps to be able to understand different people in different cultures.”
Perhaps the biggest change Omar experienced was within himself. Before the Friendship Games, he described himself as “very, very shy.” He made it a personal goal to push past that, and put himself out there. “I kind of just tried to shut my brain off and go do it,” he said. To do that, he learned to quiet his overthinking and trust the environment. Luckily, the young people from around the world made it easy: “The people from the other sites, they’re just great people.”
Today, Omar is still in touch with friends he met — from Northern Ireland, the Middle East, South Africa, and even Detroit. When asked what advice he would give to future participants, his message was simple and honest: “Just be yourself. Go talk to people. Have a great time.”
