BROTHERS Melvyn Ford and Edward Paul Caunca may stand smaller against bigger and heftier teammates and opponents.
But the two stood tall in helping their respective teams and were instrumental in the championship in their collegiate cage leagues in London.
The diminutive 5’8” point guard of the University of Leicester, junior cager Melvyn Ford played court general in the school’s campaign as it won the title recently in the prestigious British Universities and Colleges Sports, thereby making the Filipino-British cager proud. He gained respect from his “pure-blooded British” teammates with his Filipino brand of basketball.
“Basketball in London is physical, but mine is patterned after the Filipino style, which puts premium on speed, precision and the mental aspect. That’s why I was very effective to the team,” the younger Caunca said.
His elder brother Edward Paul is a varsity small forward for his team University of Arts London, but his shooting prowess and perimeter offense were instrumental in his team’s success in the BUCS basketball men’s division.
“My teammates are so tall with a 6’7” in ceiling. With my shooting skills, I became part of the marquee players in winning the championship for my team,” said the fresh BSBA graduate, 6’1” Edward Paul.
Both are also playing in commercial cage leagues in London.
The two were influenced by their father, Engr. Eduard Caunca, an executive engineer of a multi-national power innovation firm in London and owns a commercial cage team named Manila-Grid Zero Power Corp. They are also fully supported by their mother Mely Pataray Caunca, who owns a house maintenance firm London Manila General Services, also in London.
The brothers, though, have chosen a different path, making basketball their life as they wish to contribute in the development of basketball back in the Philippines.
If a given the opportunity and time, they would love to share their basketball gifts to the Philippines.