Fort St. John ballers to battle for hoops supremacy in Grande Prairie

FORT ST. JOHN, B.C. — Some of Fort St. John’s best recreational ballers will be among the teams battling for basketball supremacy in Grande Prairie this weekend. 

According to an announcement by the City of Grande Prairie, the Grande Prairie Filipino Basketball League will host 34 teams from across Alberta and northern B.C.

The release says the showcase is an “opportunity to celebrate community and culture while developing the sport of basketball.”

To those of Filipino heritage, basketball is as symbolic of the nation’s identity as ice hockey is to Canada. 

First introduced to the island nation during the American colonial period of the late 1890s to the mid-1940s, the Philippines has had an entry in several FIBA World Basketball Championships, placing third in 1954.

The country of approximately 115 million also houses one of the oldest professional leagues in the world, the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA), and current National Basketball Association stars Jordan Clarkson and Jalen Green claim Filipino heritage.

FSJ Pinoy Sports League organizer Chit Corpuz-Gamueda helped select the teams that will represent the city at the tournament.

Corpuz-Gamueda worked closely in building the league since immigrating to Canada in 2010, which is run in association with the Fort St. John Filipino Canadian Association.

She told energeticcity.ca that the league hosts two basketball leagues for local Filipino players in the spring and winter.

“We love basketball,“ says Copuz-Gamueda. “That is the number one sport in the Phillippines.”

“The best players from Fort St. John have been chosen.  We think we’ve chosen the right players.”

Three teams will be competing from Fort St. John in the all-men’s tournament, including an under-18 squad for all nationalities, an open-age team with no age limit, and a senior team for players over 35.

Saturday’s games will be round-robin, with the teams with the best records selected for the semi-finals and championship games on Sunday.

Copuz-Gamueda says going to Grande Prairie could not have occurred without local sponsorship, including Fort City Chrysler, Super 8 Motel, and A&W of Fort St. John.

Some sponsorship money went to provide uniforms for the teams, which Copuz-Gamueda says are colourful.

“It’s always nice to have new uniforms,” Copuz-Gamueda said.

The tournament will tip off on July 13th at Charles Spencer at Maude Clifford schools in Grande Prairie.

Visit the FSJ Pinoy Sports League or Fort St. John Filipino Canadian Association’s Facebook page for more information.