Filipino basketball association in N.L. creates home away from home for hoop-loving community

The Filipino Newfoundlanders Basketball Association organized a tournament for the second year in a row. Ten teams from across the island came to St. John’s to compete. (Henrike Wilhelm/CBC)

Members of the Filipino community from all over the island came to St. John’s over the weekend to either play basketball or cheer on their team.

The Filipino Newfoundlanders Basketball Association hosted its second annual tournament, welcoming 10 teams with a total of 180 players to the St. John’s PowerPlex centre.

While winning the trophy was certainly top of mind for them, the event also aims to provide a sense of community, says association director Ricky Peñarubia.

“Filipino are avid fan of basketball,” said Peñarubia.

“It’s a cultural thing for us and we take it very seriously back home. So, to bring it here to Canada, continue playing the sport that we love, as an organizer, it’s my passion to do that.”

Peñarubia came to the province in 2012, and, three years later, started volunteering with a Filipino basketball association. When its organizers became too old, he took over management. Then, in 2021, he decided to start his own association, along with a few of his friends.

The goal — promoting the sport and getting Filipinos together for matches, but also helping newcomers settle in the province.

“Basketball is a way for me to stay away from that homesickness,” said Peñarubia.

“The main goal of the association is to pretty much integrate players in the community because we also participate to St. John’s Men’s League. So, we have a team over there.”

Peñarubia’s wife Aimee has been by his side from the very beginning.

As a Newfoundlander looking in from the outside, she said, she has seen the positive impact the association has had on the community.

“The league has become a way for newcomers to integrate into the community and to meet new people,” said Aimee Peñarubia. “A lot of people are coming without families to work. And it really gives them something to look forward to.”

WATCH | Here’s how this Filipino association uses basketball to combat homesickness: 

These Filipinos in N.L. find a home away from home in basketball

The Filipino Newfoundlanders Basketball Association held its second annual tournament over the weekend. While teams were hoping to win the trophy, the association’s main goal is to help newcomers settle. The CBC’s Henrike Wilhelm has that story.

The work of the association, especially in preparation of the tournament, wouldn’t be possible without the help of the community, she said, whether it be volunteers or sponsors.

“It’s kind of a community-wide thing,” said Aimee Peñarubia. “And the impact that I see […] is how we’re able to support people in the community. We have businesses here and, of course, that gives back to their growth and their own promotion.”

Among those sponsors were local restaurants Sinaing, RJ Pinoy Yum and Tres Madres, but also Tim Horton’s and Sun Life.

Advisor Antonina Burke is a member of the Filipino community herself, and said being part of the tournament is an honour.

“We’re very excited. It’s a huge part of our culture to play basketball. Everywhere in the Philippines, every street, you can see kids growing up playing basketball,” said Burke.

“It brings us all together just to have fun, have a great time.”

Ricky Peñarubia, left, started the Filipino Newfoundlanders Basketball Association in 2021, as a way of bringing the community together. His wife Aimee Peñarubia, right, has been by his side from the very beginning. (Henrike Wilhelm/CBC)

After coming to the first-ever tournament last year as a spectator, Dona Dales volunteered this year to host the event’s opening ceremony, as well as to decorate the venue for the players’ banquet Saturday night.

Any event in the province bringing Filipinos together, she said, means creating a sense of home away from home.

“It’s an opportunity for us to divert our longing for our family back home and enjoy it here,” said Dales.

“Even when you saw a Filipino at the mall, it’s different. You feel like, ‘Oh, at least you’re not alone here,’ because some people arrived here in Newfoundland by themselves only. But every time, you can see a community, there’s a warmth, you can feel it…. You feel like home even though you’re in a different country.”

Alexis Racho from Gander feels the same way.

He came to the province from the Philippines over 10 years ago, and he has known Peñarubia just as long.

Dona Dales was one of the volunteers at the basketball tournament. She says giving back to the community is important to her. (Henrike Wilhelm/CBC)

At the tournament, he coached the defending champions of Team Centro, which combines players from all over central Newfoundland.

“Basketball is part of our lives,” said Racho, who started playing basketball when he was 10 years old.

“Our conversation is always basketball. So, I’m from Gander. When I visit St. John’s, I meet them, we play basketball. We invited them couple of times now to visit us in Gander. We play in Gander in basketball. We talk about always basketball. We Filipino, we love basketball.”

That’s why Peñarubia wants to continue using the sport to get the community together — and he plans to expand the association’s work even further.

While it is only a vision as of yet, he hopes to eventually start offering basketball training camps for youth, and to leave a lasting impact on the community.

“My young kid will see this growing up and eventually they’ll start to take over and just keep continue on for the next generation,” he said.

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