14-year-old Metro Vancouver basketball players living hoop dreams in the Philippines

Filipino-Canadian Alyssia Palma loves playing basketball. But as good as she feels when she’s on the court, it’s the connections she’s making off of it that bring her even more joy.

“The thing that I enjoy most about playing basketball is the community behind it,” Palma told Daily Hive. “Through the sport, I’ve been able to meet so many new friends from different teams from all over, many of which have become my best friends.

“I’ve been able to connect with many people around basketball, and their support through my journey has been incredible.”

Basketball has brought the Surrey resident farther than she could have initially dreamed. She and Demicah Arnaldo of Burnaby recently had the opportunity to represent the Philippines in the FIBA U16 Women’s Asian Championship in Jordan this summer.

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The 14-year-old rising stars, who both play together on local basketball club AthElite, helped the Philippines go undefeated in the Division B tournament and be promoted to Division A. It was a historic first-place finish for the country.

“Being able to play basketball on an international stage was such a petrifying experience knowing so many people would be watching,” shared Palma. “The first game, I knew it was going to be a bit rough, but I was able to push through and do my role.

“The experience overall was so amazing. I was able to grow as a player and learn about the different styles of play from the different countries.”

The Holy Cross Regional High School and St. Thomas More Collegiate students were two of only seven players from North America to be selected for Team Philippines.

“The feeling of being one of the seven players coming from North America was really surreal,” Palma added. It has been a great honour, especially that I am able to represent my heritage as a second-generation Filipina and still be a proud Canadian. I also feel very fortunate that I’ve been able to experience this with my AthElite teammate, Demicah Arnaldo, who I’ve played with for over two years.

“Meeting the other players from around the world was really amazing. We all clicked really quickly in the time that we had together. We got along both on and off the court and enjoyed the time that we had together in those many weeks. Achieving the gold together has bonded me with these incredible girls for life.”

Anne-Marie Palma, the mother of Alyssia, told Daily Hive that she is proud of her daughter’s on-court accomplishments and off-court drive to succeed.

“My husband and I are beyond proud. She’s worked hard to get to the world stage, and at her young age, she has a bright future ahead, playing for the Philippines,” explained Ann-Marie. “Representing our heritage is not something that we or Alyssia even imagined was possible until we were exposed to Fil-Nation, an organization that helps identify and support Filipino athletes to play at elite levels. Through this experience, she’s been able to play in the company of other talented players who’ve grown up like her – with the privilege of living in dual cultures.

“She’s had to make sacrifices as well, missing out on important family events like her brother’s graduation and being away from her family and friends so she could train for six weeks out of the country. To make it on the team was already something we were proud of, but to have her and her teammates win the tournament and pave the way for the next U16 team was a special bonus.”