SPORTS. Two teams compete fiercely for the ball in a thrilling basketball match. Are we in Manila? It is rather in the large gymnasium of the <a href="https://www.archysport.com/2022/09/an-environmental-debate-for-the-candidates-of-granby/" title="An environmental debate for the candidates of Granby“>Cégep de Granby that the game takes place. Let’s discover the Estrie Philippine Basketball League (Estrie Filipino Basketball League).
Basketball is the most popular sport in the Philippines, both at the amateur and professional level. A year ago, Junard Manaloto and around fifteen other Filipinos started this league. “This allows our compatriots to practice their favorite sport and socialize with each other,” he says, adding that “since 2018-2019, several Filipinos have come to settle in our great region.” For his part, Mr. Manaloto has lived here for 17 years.
Ten teams
The territory of the sports league extends a little beyond Estrie. There are ten teams, often associated with the employer of some of the Filipino players. The latter come from Sherbrooke, Drummondville, Saint-Hyacinthe, Longueuil, etc., to play all the league matches in Granby. The other closest team is the NRC Ballers from NRC Industries, in Saint-Paul-d’Abbotsford. Four games are played each Saturday afternoon.
Atmosphere and professional organization
There were around 80 people in the Cégep gymnasium when the GranbyExpress arrived, towards the end of the third game. The match was very close between the KingZ from Longueuil and the Camions Dubois team from Saint-Jean-Baptiste. It was the latter who won, in overtime. Subsequently, it was “our” team, the Jolly Ranchers from the Hershey factory in Granby, which faced the Tropa from Drummondville, whose players work at the Ferme des Voltigeurs (In Tagalog, the main language spoken in the Philippines, “tropa” means “group of friends”).
The crowd of spectators was made up of the players’ families, friends and work colleagues who came to cheer them on and watch some good matches. There was an atmosphere in the gymnasium, with the enthusiasm of the players, the reactions of the fans, and the exuberance of the commentator-host. “Basketball for Filipinos is like hockey for us: a passion!” explains one of the spectators.
The games are well organized, with two attentive referees, officials and statisticians, all volunteers. “We broadcast the matches live on Facebook. This way, those close to the players who are in the Philippines can see them in action,” explains organizer Junard Manaloto.
Basketball in the Philippines
Basketball was introduced to the Philippines during the American colonial period in the early 1900s. Taught in the school system since that time, the sport has become a source of national pride and identity for Filipinos.
Basketball fans are invited to attend the Saturday afternoon games at the Cégep de Granby. The season will end on December 7, then in mid-January it will be the playoffs.
