ZAMBOANGA CITY — The mostly marginal social and economic condition of their communities make Muslim and Lumad boys vulnerable to violent behavior and illegal drugs.
And amid this adversity, basketball comes to the rescue.
Hadji Nasir Ismula, one of Zamboanga City’s tribal leaders, organized and has since managed a basketball tournament among youths belonging to local tribal communities in the city.
To generate resources for the project, Ismula first formed the Zamboanga City Indigenous Peoples’ Sports Association last July.
With the association up and running, Ismula said benefactors poured their support to the basketball project.
From the monetary and other material support, Ismula said the association was able to form 12 teams.
The teams have 15 players each, and are divided into two brackets to facilitate the elimination process. All players were provided free uniforms.
The players are grouped according to their tribal identity — Sama Bangingis, Tausugs, Yakans, Badjaos, and Subanons/Kalibugans.
The tournament action kicked off on the first week of September. The playing venue is moved from one barangay to another, usually where the players come from, and in basketball courts of the community school.
So far, about 30 games were held. Last Friday (Oct. 19), the game took place at the Talon-Talon Elementary School. It was the quarterfinal round.
The semifinal round was held on Oct. 21, while the championship is set on October 29 at the Filipino-Turkish Tolerance School.
“The champion will receive a cash prize of PHP15,000, the second will get PHP10,000 and the third PHP5,000,” Ismula said.
That is the target, he said, but the prizes might yet be reduced if funds will miss the shot.
Ismula said he was a varsity player when he was in college. He knows basketball inside out.
“I organized the sports association to help keep Muslim and indigenous people youths away from drugs, from criminal activities,” he said. “(This is also) to also promote goodwill, camaraderie, which is also why we move around the playing venues”.
Ismula said he hopes to produce top-caliber players who can excel nationally, given their experience and training. He said there is a plan to set up more divisions for the next tournaments.
He said there is also a plan to go into volleyball, including women volleyball.
“I observed that the players are enthusiastic, together with their respective communities, everybody is happy,” Ismula said. “There has been no incidence of violence in any of the games”.
That’s certainly a three-point shot for Ismula and his project.