Humber Hawks’ point guard Hope Manglal-Lan was meant to hoop since her name sounds so close to “hoop”.
“I’ve been told I had to end up playing basketball for my name growing up, it’s awesome,” she said.
“Sometimes everything falls into place. I’m grateful, that’s a beautiful thing,” Manglal-Lan said.
When the college basketball season finished in February, she eagerly started to look for places to play and express the meaning of her name.
“I need to play basketball, so I’m going around Toronto to try to find courts,” said the point guard, who struggled to encounter courts as indoor ones are expensive and the weather didn’t allow to take some hoops outdoors yet.
But it turns out she could relieve her eagerness to the eyes of the world instead of doing it anonymously on a random local court while enduring the inclement weather.
The Filipino Canadian team called Manglal-Lan to the National Basketball Training Center (NBTC) Tournament, an international competition in Manila in March.
The Hawks’ point guard was part of a roster comprised of players born in Canada but with Filipino roots.
The Filipino-Canadians got knocked out in the first round of the tournament, which reunited 10 teams with Australia and different teams representing different states from the U.S.
Manglal-Lan, second on the right in the first row, with her teammates in the NBTC Tournament. Photo credit: Matt Pindoy photography
Manglal-Lan, who has just finished her rookie year in College basketball, said being part of this international stage experience means a lot to her.
“It was very important for me,” said the Mississauga native, who also trained with a mix of players of the U19 and the senior Filipino national teams in the summer. “This is the first time the Filipino-Canadian team has had the opportunity to participate in this tournament.
“Talent comes from everywhere, but it’s growing in Canada,” Manglal-Lan said. “I had the opportunity to be part of this platform for Filipino women and I’m very happy for it.
“It was a memorable experience. I was the oldest player in the team and it was good to see young talent and kind of pave the way for them,” she said. “A lot of them were a little bit nervous and now they are committed and I’m very excited to encourage that.”
Manglal-Lan’s teammates at Humber couldn’t keep their eyes off her and the quickness and the astuteness that define the 5-foot-4 point guard as a player.
With the indoor sports season done, there was a buzz among the women’s basketball team as they cheered Manglal-Lan while watching her on TV.
Peyton Moore, one of Manglal-Lan’s Humber teammates, said it was memorable for the team.
“For Hope to go overseas to play in a tournament like this just was a special moment for us to be able to sit and watch her do her thing,” Moore said.
“It really showcases our talents and abilities here at Humber,” she said.
The Filipino-Canadian team took part in the NBTC Tournament for the first time. Photo credit: Matt Pindoy photography
Ceejay Nofuente, one of the assistant coaches of Humber women’s basketball and a rumoured candidate to become the next head coach, said this international experience proved the progression of Manglal-lan.
“I’m so proud of Hope, seeing her compete in the Philippines was amazing, she’s always trying to evolve her game and having these opportunities show it,” Nofuente said.
Besides the emotion of playing on an international scale, Manglal-lan said this experience allowed her to taste a different type of game.
“I was used to playing against local players and I had to get used to a more intense and faster game,” she said. “I expanded my knowledge and I could understand the game more in different ways.”
While Manglal-Lan said it’s still early to set a goal for Humber ahead of the next season in a team with many changes, she said she wants to step up.
“My name has committed my life to the game more. It shows the leadership role I’ve played in every single team I’ve played,” she said. “I want to be this kind of leader next season,” she said. “I hope to live up to my name.”