For six years, southeast Saskatchewan's Filipino community has gathered at Carlyle's Pinoy Basketball Tournament. This year, 11 teams from southeastern Saskatchewan and southern Manitoba bonded over basketball and more importantly, enjoyed a weekend of fun, family and fellowship. One of the event's founders. Benny Caan of Carlyle says of the event: “It's kind of trying to get together. Nobody knows each other back home. We're from a country of 7,100 different islands-but when we come together over basketball, we are one.”
“We started the idea six years ago,” says Caan. “A priest from Estevan started a team and the same year, I initiated a team here.”
“We were all busy working and were sometimes far apart from each other, so we had limited access as far as seeing each other. Before that, the only time we would see each other was here at my house after Mass or at Christmastime... It's not our national sport and we are not tall in size, but in the Philippines, there is a basketball ring every few blocks. It's a very popular sport with us.”
“I'm from one of the smallest islands back home-Basco Batanes,” he adds. “It's very small, on the northernmost tip of the Philippines. Playing basketball-and this tournament- brings us all together.”
“To put on a thing like the tournament is a lot of work, but it's worth it,” says Caan. “It will release people's stresses and they will forget their problems. I was one of the first Filipino people to come to Carlyle and I was so lucky. I'm a very proud and happy Canadian citizen, now. But I went through all of those channels to become one and I know what that feels like.”
“We are hardworking people and sometimes it can be difficult to make it to practices or to a tournament, but it's usually never a problem for people to come.”
Caan says the Carlyle tournament is designed with the whole family in mind. “Many of our visitors drive a few hours very early to get here, so of course we feed them when they come here.”
“We have an early opening ceremony with all of the teams there, usually at 8 a.m. We sing both our Canadian and Philippines national anthems and before the games, we start with a prayer.”
“We seek God's protection for us-we don't want anybody hurt in a game,” Caan explains. “We are working people and working families, so that's important to us.”
The tournament draw is done on game day-rather than before the event- to ensure teams, spectators, families and friends gather together at the start of the action.
“A big part of the tournament is us getting together,” says Caan. “That's why we do it that way- so everyone is all together. Otherwise, if everybody is coming only when their game is happening, it's like a practice instead of a tournament. We want all teams participating and taking part in the program.”
“Our Carlyle Bombers players range in age from 18 to 30. There's a junior team in Estevan that we're training up for the next generation and some teams do have players as young as 13 or 14,” he adds.
Another Filipino sporting tradition that is upheld at the tournament is that of team muse.
“We don't have a parade,” says Caan. “But each team chooses a young lady to be their muse. She will hold their banner and represent the team It's another way of getting more people involved.”
“We encourage families to get involved and the Best Muse, Best Uniform and other prizes are ways to add friendly competition and get people involved.”
Caan says the tournament also features a guest speaker. “Our first year, Mayor Don Shirley spoke. Another year, we had Hugette Lutz, Carlyle's town administrator.”
“When players and their families come to our tournament, they often camp at the lakes, stay at hotels or stay with friends. The speakers help them learn more about Carlyle,” says Caan.
Caan is known as a “Kuya” or older brother, within Carlyle's Filipino community and says organizing the basketball tournament is an important part of his role and responsibility- one he shares with others.
“It has been a long journey for me,” he says. “I've been here 11 years and I was the first Filipino in town. My wife is my biggest support, first and foremost. She makes sure my players have a meal before every game and she's very supportive of us and this initiative.”
“I also want to thank the Carlyle fellows and the Filipino Basketball Association of Southeast Saskatchewan,” he adds. “Especially Orly Vistal of Team Oxbow-who heads the board, T.J. Labrador of Weyburn, Hanz Hizon of Virden, Adrian Parcon of Oxbow, Greg de Sagon of Carnduff, Melvin Pineda of Estevan, Dennis Cacho of Kipling, Elmer Jove of Carlyle and Leo Ilustrisimo of Moosomin for their solid support of the league.”
“We came up with the idea of the tournament as a way to see each other and play basketball together,” adds Caan. “And it's still going, six years later.”
“At the end of the day, everybody's happy and everybody's had fun.”
For more information, check out Carlyle Bombers on Facebook.
