With more Filipinos than ever now calling the Waitaki district home, the Filipino Waitaki Incorporated basketball league 2017-18 season has expanded to eight teams. Basketball, like rugby in New Zealand, is something of a national obsession in the Philippines and on Friday and Saturday nights in Oamaru, players, friends and families show just how seriously the sport is taken by this growing minority. Hamish MacLean reports.
The Tagalog word for basketball is "basketbol". And in the Philippines, basketbol is a way of life.
A double round robin played over Fridays and Saturdays will pare the league back to four semifinalists by February.
And though Filipino Waitaki Inc sports committee chairman Richard Mordeno said the games would remain "very competitive", the strength of the league is in the friendships and sense of community the games help to build.
"[They are] tight games — they take it seriously," he said.
"But not like they’re fighting over something. It’s one way to relieve stress, especially for dairy farmers — most of our players are dairy farmers."
With more Filipinos in the district, the league has expanded from five teams to eight, but this year’s 15-man Filipino basketball teams were allowed one "import" player. So for the first time Kiwis have joined the Filipino league. One new team this year was formed from players who all came from the same farm; their import player was the boss of their farm.
The opening tip-off on November 10 was preceded by a short opening ceremony: the national anthems of both the Philippines and New Zealand were played and a prayer was said, an oath of sportsmanship taken by the players and in his opening remarks, sports committee member Jevren Rivera asked "Why do Filipinos love basketball?"
"In the Philippines, even in the small streets, there are makeshift basketball hoops.
"It’s simple; just shoot the ball in the basket.
"Filipinos love basketball, because it’s entertaining, a little bit physical — but not as physical as rugby — it promotes camaraderie and it unites us Filipinos especially ... because we are here, not in our own land, but here in New Zealand."
Mr Mordeno’s partner, Filipino Waitaki Inc chairwoman Lualhati (Lot) Mordeno, said the group of about 150 members was important "to keep the Filipinos together ... gathering the families together", but increasingly the group wanted to share Filipino culture with New Zealanders. The hardest thing about transitioning to life in the Waitaki was dealing with the colder temperatures.
"That would be No 1 — I think everyone would agree with that. We came from a tropical country and New Zealand is very cold."
They also found a change in "culture in general" and food — the staple food in the Philippines is rice — although the transition was made easier by welcoming New Zealanders.
"We love it here, we love it here," she said.
"People are so accommodating, friendly, virtuous and honest."
And though she estimates about 500 Filipinos live in the district, the exact number of Filipinos in Waitaki is not known.
Working with the Waitaki District Council, she said she hoped a census could soon establish the true size of the community. The Recreation Centre was noisy on opening night: the play-by-play was called live, music was played and baskets were applauded by about 60 fans, friends and family who filled the stands. After the first game, a win for the Filipino Farmers Community Church, Rowel Salcedo said he and his team-mates were gasping for breath. The Duntroon-based squad had only had "a couple" of practice sessions, and he was not yet in game shape.
But falling into the rhythm of basketball had not been a problem.
"I mean, they know how to play," he said.
"I told them before we started play, just enjoy the game, no pressure, it doesn’t have to be so serious, just enjoy every second of the game.
"We really want to win ... every team wants to win, but for us it’s just more about playing together and just enjoying the game. If we go on longer in the tournament, that’s a bonus."
Mr Mordeno said due to the growth of the Filipino community in the district, the team sent to the South Island Filipino Sports Tournament next Queen’s birthday weekend would not be representing Oamaru, but the Waitaki district as a whole — 15 players would be selected from the league to form Waitaki’s basketball team.
