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Friday, March 29, 2024

Arayi gives back to Philippine basketball

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WOMEN’S basketball in the Philippines is a very far cry from its counterpart in the men’s side. 

The sport is a national pastime of Filipinos, but unfortunately, only for the men’s side.

And that is why you have to give it to this half Filipina-half Nigerian, Ewon Rosete Arayi, a long-time member of  the national women’s basketball team as she has been doing her  share for the national squad since she made it to  the team in 2007, making her the longest-serving player of the nationals.

Ewon Rosete Arayi: I just want to see women’s basketball get off the ground and grow.

Arayi got into basketball at an early age in Bolinao, Pangasinan, where her uncle used to bring her to watch him play the game. She got interested too, playing in small tournaments in the province, but it was in 2003 when she first got a chance to play organized basketball as she made it to the Adamson women’s team in the UAAP, where she won back-to-back titles.

After finishing her Banking & Finance degree in Adamson, she was asked to try out with the national team and played under former PBA cager Fritz Gaston and Heidi Ong.

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“These two coaches gave me the opportunity, especially coach Fritz, who taught me to be a defensive player,” said Arayi, who was cut off afterwards when Fil-Am players arrived to reinforce the team.

Fortunately, she was recalled as a reserve player in the same year and had her first SEABA  championship in 2010.

This year, Arayi was also on the SEABA champion team handled by NU’s Patrick Aquino, but as a cheerer and not as a player because she was hospitalized with dengue about a month before the tournament started.

It was in 2014 when without fanfare, she first launched her Pinay Ballers League, a no frills-just-play-the-game league exclusively for women.

This was after realizing that after collegiate basketball, female players here have practically nowhere to go.

She wanted the players to continue playing the game, and did so to the extent of spending her own money sans corporate sponsorships. Arayi succeeded in attracting ex-UAAP players who either got companies to support them or the players pooled their resources to pay the entry fees.

Arayi did not receive allowances or salary as an organizer as her priority was for the league to survive.

“I wanted to make sure first that  the venue rental and the payment to the referees and the table officials were paid. I was lucky I had a small group led by PBL Commissioner Cai Lim, who supported me with the same objective of helping women’s basketball here,” Arayi said.

She admitted though that she had mixed feelings when other women’s league emerged like the Liga Filipina, Liga Manila, and the Next 5 Hoops, though it was only Liga Filipina that  was exclusively for women as the other two league also featured men’s competitions.

“I believe it would be better if all of us got together and pool our resources, I am not after taking the credit, I just want to see women’s basketball get off the ground and grow. That is why I am happy that the PBA has introduced its 3 on 3 women’s basketball and created more awareness to the fact that there are a lot of women basketball players out there, just waiting for a real women’s league  to emerge where they can continue playing, “ added Arayi.

In the PBL, Arayi has three different divisions, one for Aspirants, another for Elite or those with UAAP experience,  and lately, an Open one, where two elite players  reinforce  aspirants. She has also started the Philippine Collegiate Championships for school-based teams. Now, she is looking at helping establish an Under-18 league for women.

On the side, Arayi conducts  basketball clinics for kids and  has invested in her own equipment  to enable her to bring the game to the provinces with some LGUs, companies, and kind-hearted individuals giving support.

Now, Arayi is in a crossroads of sorts, torn between the desire to continue playing for the national team or go full time into coaching (she mentors One Cainta) and basketball organizing. But whatever choice she makes, basketball will always remain her focus. 

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