Jamaica’s European-based basketball player Samardo Samuels is seeking to establish links with sporting organisations here so that he can give back to the island and its future sportsmen and women.

Samuels, who returned home last week for a short holiday break as he prepares for a crucial season with his team FC Barcelona Lassa, brought with him football gear, a gift from his Barcelona club.

He hopes to donate them and perhaps participate in basketball camps.

When he spoke with the Jamaica Observer West at the Sangster International airport on Tuesday, the 27-year-old who started his career with Muschett High said he had not yet worked out the details of distributing the gear, which he was in the process of clearing.

“This is a quick trip, but if I can do a camp or two; a day camp to work with the kids, I would love to do that,” he said. “Hopefully someone can organise that.”

The player, who was an undrafted free agent with Cleveland Cavaliers in the NBA after he declared for the draft just two years into the University of Louisville, said he wanted to do more, but finding the right people to work with often proved difficult.

“I play for the basketball team of the largest football club in the world. This season they took in a number of young football players from all over the world and I asked someone why couldn’t they get some players from Jamaica as well,” he said.

Samuels has one year left on his contract, but says he has a lot of work to do to ensure he keeps his place on the team.

“It’s coming up on my contract year and have to work on a lot of thing this summer,” he told

Jamaica Observer West. “I struggled this past season and I need to capitalise on things. I have taken a shorter break this summer as I have to get back to playing basketball and working on my game, as I was not pleased with my performance at all. I have a lot of expectations and must take full advantage,” told the Observer West.