Winners start with a dream

MANILA, Philippines – Rizalon Amsali was clicking his camera to no end.  His subject was his son Rhayyan who was named Alaska Youth Ambassador during the culmination of the three-day 2014 Jr. NBA and Jr. WNBA National Training Camp presented by Alaska at the Mall of Asia Music Hall last April 27.

The older Amsali dreamed about this. He was a former varsity player in the Southern City Colleges in Zamboanga, the same school that produced PBA players Mark Barroca and RR Garcia. But he never made it beyond Zamboanga. With his son playing for the flourishing National University basketball program, his dream has been kept alive.

"Dream ko talaga magkaroon ng anak na professional basketball player. Naging varsity ako sa amin sa Zamboanga pero hang gang dun lang inabot ko," the older Amsali said.

His son Rhayyan was one of the ten young players chosen to be part of the elite Jr. NBA All Star team. Joining him in the top ten are fellow Manila campers Paul Matthew Manalang, Jan Cyril Narvasa, Samjosef Belangel, Luigi Velasco; John Richard Gan, Vince Leo Dolendo and David Leandro Umadhay from Iloilo Regional Selection Camp; and Andrew Vincent Velasco and crowd favorite Jethro Rocamora from the Cebu leg.

Five girls, meanwhile, made it to the first ever Jr. WNBA All Star team.  Roxanne Salvador of the University of Perpetual Help Dalta System led the selection winning the Jr. WNBA MVP and joining her were Arielle Marie Lanot, Kreecie Bettina Binaohan all from Manila Regional Selection Camp with one each from Iloilo (Karl Ann Pingol) and Cebu (Mary Jean Pascual).

The daughter of former PBA player Aris Dimaunahan - Christiana - was Amsali's counterpart in the girls division. Dimaunahan was named the Alaska Youth Ambassador award but went short in her bid to join the top five girls. The others who received special awards were: Lyniel Padilla of Cebu and Umadhay which took the Alaska Sportsmanship Award; Kristine Cayabyab of Dagupan and Wayne Kirby Bersaluna of Cebu as Basketball TV Rising Star awardees, Luisa Martina deal Paz of Iloilo and John Paul Gates of Manila won the Gatorade Hustle award, Pascual and Samjosef Belangel of Bacolod took home the Phoenix Petroleum All Star Player of the Game. Salvador and Luigi Velasco were selected as the Jr. NBA and Jr. WNBA MVP.

Rhayyan got most of the attention after the awarding with his mother Norhaysa Amsali crying to no end as his father was busy taking snapshots. It was tears of joy.

"Sobrang saya ko. Thank you sa God at talagang ang mga prayers namin tinanggap niya. For the sake ng future ng anak ko, pinili naming magkahiwalay ng papa niya at ng kapatid niya," Rhayyan's mother said.

Rhayyan's siblings and their father stayed behind in Zamboanga while he pushed his luck in Manila together with his mother.

"Tears of joy talaga. Lahat ng sacrifice namin at hard work ng anak ko nagbubunga na," Rhayyan's mother said.

Rhayyan grew up liking the sport his father once enjoyed.

"Talagang love ko ang basketball since ang father ko mahilig at dating player," Rhayyan said. "Sobrang kinabahan ako sa camp but nag-succeed ako dahil na rin sa support ng parents ko."

"Grabe yung disiplina ng anak ko. Kahit sa pagkain, hindi lang basta-basta kakain at siyempre umiinom yan lagi ng gatas," Rhayyan's mother said.

Alaska partnered with Jr. NBA to promote sports at such young age to help curb the perennial problem of malnutrition in the country especially with school children. According to the 7th National Nutrition Survey done by the Food and Nutrition Research Institute and the Department of Health, three out of 10 children are under-nutrition while two out of 10 children are overweight.

Lasting impression

NBA player Gordon Hayward, the rising star of Utah Jazz and WNBA legend Tina Thompson were impressed with the passion of Filipinos for basketball.

"It was a great experience for me. It was very fulfilling," Hayward said.

"I think the passion you have here for basketball is nothing I've seen before. Everybody loves the game. Older people, younger people, men and women love the sport and it's the one thing that I will remember about my trip to the Philippines."

Thompson also pointed to the same passion as building block to encouraging more young girls to take the sport.

"What is so nice is that these kids play with a lot of passion. They were listening and eager to learn during the camp," Thompson said. "I really enjoyed my experience here."

Hayward and Thompson ran the three-day camp with Senior Director of Basketball Operations of NBA Asia Sefu Bernard, Jr. NBA/Jr. WNBA coaches Chris Sumner, Alaska Power Camp director Jojo Lastimosa, national women's team players Ish Tiu and Melissa Jacobs plus Alaska coaches and volunteer coaches who were candidates for this year's Coach of the Year awards.

Coach Cliff Andy Tesocan of Tacloban was named as the 2014 Jr. NBA Coach of the Year while Pia Dysangco became the first ever Jr. WNBA Coach of the Year.

The local coaches also learned so much from Hayward, Thompson and the Jr. NBA and WNBA coaches from running the drills to proper nutrition and molding the likes of Rhayyan through the S.T.A.R. values which means, Sportsmanship, Teamwork, positive Attitude, and Respect.  

The whole Jr. NBA and Jr. WNBA camp did not only teach Rhayyan and the other young aspirants a thing or two about the game but also touched their lives in the same way Hayward, Thompson were moved by their passion for the sport.

They all dreamed of making it big in the sport they love. They have taken a step to realize their dreams.

Dream and become a champion, join Alaska's sports program now!

For more information on the next Jr. NBA and Jr. WNBA Philippines, visitwww.jrnba.asia/philippines

For Alaska Basketball Power Camp, visitwww.alaskapowercamp.com/basketball and for live Twitter updates, follow @ALASKAsportshub.