KATHERINE Jumapao hopes to make the province of Cebu proud in her bid to see action in the WNBL.
Jumapao is the lone player based in Cebu who travelled all the way to Manila to participate in the WNBL Draft Combine over the weekend. Just like the other 114 players who took part, Jumapao is eyeing to achieve her dream of becoming a professional basketball player through the WNBL.
“I applied because this is the pioneer batch for the first-ever women’s pro. It’s been my dream since I was little to play basketball. Now is the time. I hope na it’s not yet too late,” said the 29-year-old Jumapao.
Prior to entering the WNBL draft, Jumapao was a varsity player for University of San Carlos where she played in the Cesafi, her last playing year being in 2010.
Her skills are not limited to basketball.
A licensed real estate broker, Jumapao is also a triathlete who regularly competes in several events in Cebu including Ironman. The Liloan native is a beauty queen as well, winning the AAA Renaissance Cebuana in 2018, a pageant organized by the provincial government to highlight their athletic, academic, and artistic skills.
“But more than the title itself, I am very much honored to carry such a worthwhile message of empowering Cebuanas to not be caged in norms and judgements but rather be strong, driven, and purposeful members of society,” Jumapao wrote on her Facebook account when she won the pageant.
Despite having an active lifestyle, Jumapao said she prepared herself for the grind in the combine where agility skills and biometrics were done to the players.
“It was really fun. I prepared for four months. I did my best and happy ako sa performance,” she said.
Even with her many activities, Jumapao said basketball is one thing that is close to her heart, which is why she went through leaps and bounds just to make it to the WNBL Draft Combine inspite of the global health crisis.
Jumapao also said she underwent several swab tests in the lead-up to the draft combine in order to be cleared for travel.
“Nostalgic ‘yung feeling. I’ve been doing basketball since I was small. Ngayon, I’m really happy that this opportunity came knocking in the middle of the pandemic,” said Jumapao.
“I had to undergo several tests,” she added. “Monitored ako sa barangay namin. I have three different medical certificates. Na-move ‘yung draft and ‘yung validity ng medical certificate is three days before flying so kailangan ulit-ulitin ‘yung swab para maka-travel.”
With her efforts to make it to the draft combine, Jumapao hopes to be eventually selected in the draft to become part of the first batch of professional women’s basketball players in the Philippines.
“Kapag napili ako, I’ll really feel happy and proud especially me representing myself and Cebu. It’s something that I would feel very much honored about. Kapag napili po ako, si Lord na po ang bahala sa direction na ibibigay niya sa akin in my life,” said Jumapao.
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