• A members of the Black team helps their Captain, Benji Bogal stretch prior to a finals match.
    A members of the Black team helps their Captain, Benji Bogal stretch prior to a finals match.
  • Benji Bogal, Captain of the Black team leads a prayer during half-time of a game.
    Benji Bogal, Captain of the Black team leads a prayer during half-time of a game.
  • Two members of the Black team react to a point being scored by the Blue team.
    Two members of the Black team react to a point being scored by the Blue team.
  • A Black team member attempts to block a Blue team member from scoring.
    A Black team member attempts to block a Blue team member from scoring.
  • Wives of some of the players react during a semi-finals match.
    Wives of some of the players react during a semi-finals match.
  • A member of the Jafiliyah Basketball Committee notes down score.
    A member of the Jafiliyah Basketball Committee notes down score.
  • A member of the Jafiliyah Basketball Committee holds up a board with the final score.
    A member of the Jafiliyah Basketball Committee holds up a board with the final score.
  • Felix Culpit picks a cigarette off his friend.
    Felix Culpit picks a cigarette off his friend.
  • Lyn Veras watches a semi-finals match with her boyfriend Homar Tamares.
    Lyn Veras watches a semi-finals match with her boyfriend Homar Tamares.
  • A set of four triophies sit on a table.
    A set of four triophies sit on a table.
  • The Jafiliya Basketball Court sits off Dhiyafa Street in the Satwa area of Dubai.
    The Jafiliya Basketball Court sits off Dhiyafa Street in the Satwa area of Dubai.

Satwa basketball court gives Kababayan free throws and a place to hang out

Mark Asquith

May 15, 2013

  • English
  • Arabic

I came across the Jafiliya Basketball Court and its community entirely by accident whilst walking around the Satwa area shooting one evening. Two Filipino guys decked out in bright purple and yellow basketball jerseys - not the usual Satwa attire - casually walked out of their apartment building, they caught my eye and I followed them to the court. "You should come on Saturday night," they said, and so I did, actually I went for the next 5 or 6 Saturdays after that too.

The Jafiliya Basketball Court is the fulcrum of Kababayan social activity in the Satwa area. It is a place where men come to shed the stresses of the daily grind of working in Dubai, shoot some hoops and participate in a team sport, where girlfriends, wives and fiancees cheer on their significant others and where expat children absorb musings on Tagalog slang and culture they otherwise wouldn't learn in their everyday UAE school environment.  Tournaments are organized every few months, with designated coaches and players, printed out jerseys, referees and volunteers manning the logistics of the games. Games take place usually after work hours, so everyone in the community has a chance to come down, hang out and watch. They call this "Tambayan" in Tagalog meaning a place to hang out and not necessarily do anything.

The people that visited the courts almost every night came to know me quite well, they welcomed me with open arms, shared their stories with me and were happy that someone was not only photographing the winning team but also the strongly-built community they were so fondly proud of.

* Razan Alzayani

Dubai