Nofuente to play for Team Canada at Commonwealth Games

Apr 2, 2018 | Sports

By bobbymihalik

Ceejay Nofuente during Humber’s OCAA Finals game against the Fanshawe Falcons (Source: HUMBER ATHLETICS)

Bobby Mihalik

After winning her second gold at the CCAA National Championship, Ceejay Nofuente of the Humber Hawks will represent Canada on the international level.

Nofuente has been named to the Canada Basketball’s National Team for the 2018 Commonwealth Games, to be held in Gold Coast, Australia, from April 4 to 15.

Ceejay Nofuente of the Humber Hawks during a game against Sault (Source: HUMBER ATHLETICS)

She is the only current Canadian Collegiate Athletic Association athlete to be representing Canada at the games.

“It feels amazing,” Nofuente said. “Representing your country, you can always imagine…and now that you’re on the team, all the hard work that you’ve done, it’s paid off.”

She has quite the decorated résumé in both the OCAA and CCAA. She has earned three OCAA and CCAA Player of the Year awards and has been a huge part of the Hawks’ continued success in the OCAA.

Nofuente was named the tournament MVP both times Humber won gold at the CCAA National Championships in 2016 and 2018.

“Even just winning the national championship, especially in my last year, going out with a win, there’s nothing more you can ask for,” Nofuente said.

Humber Hawks women’s basketball coach Ajay Sharma feels great for Nofuente, and for what all that success means for her and Humber’s basketball program.

“We’re pretty proud of it,” Sharma said. “It’s certainly a great profile builder for our program, not to mention a huge accomplishment for her.

“She’s been under our roof for the last five years, and we’ve helped her, encouraged her to pursue this. She’s done most of the work, no doubt…it feels great,” he said.

The Commonwealth Games are an international sporting event that is held between members of the Commonwealth of Nations. This is the first time Canada has fielded a women’s basketball team at the games.

The 2018 Commonwealth Games won’t be Nofuente’s first time representing Canada on an international level. Last August, she competed for Canada Basketball at the 2017 FISU Games in Taipei, Taiwan.

“Playing back-to-back years for Team Canada, they’ve noticed me, and it goes to show they understand what I’ve brought to the table,” Nofuente said.

The women’s Canada Basketball team is scheduled to begin play at the games on April 6, when they will face England. Scheduled start time is 4:30 a.m. EST.

With the games now less than two weeks away, Nofuente is optimistic about Team Canada’s chances.

“We are able to compete, we have a good group of girls,” she said. “I’m pretty sure we’re going to be able to do damage while we’re out there.”