Highlights
- Unified Basketball Association (UBA) started as small groups of basketball goers in 2014
- Henry's Cup was derived from UBA's former member named Henry to commemorate his love of the sport and the people he played with
- [OPINION] There should be more women represented in basketball
The Unified Basketball Association, formed in 2014, recently concluded their second Henry's cup last 28th of May, 2022. From just a group of basketball enthusiasts, a community of over 250 people was formed. We invited UBA officers Migs Hitosis, Hoby Dacalos and Isay Aurellado to tell the story of Henry cup and their hopes to build a stronger community of basketball enthusiasts.
LISTEN TO
How the love for basketball unified a community
SBS Filipino
11/06/202206:28
Source: Supplied by Isay Aurellado
The initial goal of the group was to have a means to have 'timeout' from their professional careers, and this break comes in the form of hoops and balls.
Kuya Henry
It is apparent that Henry's cup was named after a real person. Back in the early years of the group, one of the outstanding people who have stepped on the court was a person named Henry Bamba. Hoby recalls Kuya Henry as the epitome of what sportsmanship and camaraderie is inside and outside the court. In 2018 however, Kuya Henry passed away. To commemorate his dedication to the sport and the love for the people, UBA named their annual competition 'Henry Cup' - which now is in its second year.
Kuya Henry wearing the number five blue jersey Source: Supplied by Hoby Dacalos
Game on!
Kicking off the 2nd Henry Cup last 28th of May, people formed teams and competed against each other in a friendly and sportsmanship manner. A lot of people have gathered to support their families and friends. To top of this event, Filipino food was served from the official sponsors of the event. A highlight as shared by Migs is how people just loved the sense of volunterism and the very presence that the community showed. Isay on the otherhand shared that the event was also an avenue for Filipino local businesses, food and culture to be appreciated by the greater community in Sydney.
Source: Supplied by Hoby Dacalos
The drive for more representation
Isay Aurellado, a sports scientist who just recently joined the group, wanted to see more women participating and playing the sport. Despite basketball is a predominantly male sport, women from all walks of life also are shaping basketball to be a more gender-friendly sport through active participation and inclusion. Isay wishes that there will be more women interested to try and play the sport in the future.
Way forward
UBA ultimately dreams to have a more strengthened and vibrant community and have more successful Henry Cups in the future. Moreover, Hoby hints that a basketball centre is also a dream in their books, citing that it can help the group reach out to more potential members in the community. The group encourages all people from all backgrounds to just show up and be part of the community. The UBA can be found in facebook.
