A former athlete herself, 80-year-old Carmencita Francisco still beams with love for basketball.
There is often an image that we have in our minds when we talk about basketball fans — usually male, either young kids or middle aged men, who wear their favorite team’s jerseys everywhere, and can be found most of the time at their local basketball court playing pickup.
But in the stands of street ball tournament Dayo23, hosted by Titan and Jordan Brand, an outlier stood out among the rowdy fans who were cheering on their respective bets in the 2-day tournament.
On her feet and cheering for every shot made was 80-year-old Carmencita Francisco, standing tall in her Barbie-clad outfit.
Some might think that she had one of her grandchildren playing in the tournament, but it turns out, Lola Carmencita was attending purely for the Dayo23 vibes.
“Oo talaga [mahilig ako manood ng basketball]. Nanonood pa ako sa Araneta, at saka sa MOA. Basta sa basketball,” she told One Sports, all while she grinned after talking about her love of the game.
“Fan ako ng Magnolia, Meralco, at saka ni [Marc] Pingris,” she added.
Being a familiar face in venues, Lola Carmencita said that she already made friends with some players, and that she was on greeting terms with a lot of PBA stars — especially on her favorite teams.
Last year during Dayo23, she met Paul Lee, who fondly remembered her when he saw her in the stands.
Unsurprisingly, Lola Carmencita said that she was an athlete before, even competing in various sports during her youth.
“Dati, bata pa ako, player din ako. Athlete ako, 500-meter dash, volleyball, at saka basketball,” she said.
But it seemed like basketball was the one that really stuck with her, as evidenced by her presence at the Barangay 830 basketball court beneath the Mabini Bridge, which was just a stone’s throw away from where she lived.
Fortunately for her, it was also a love that resonated with her family, particularly her grandchildren, that she says play promisingly well.
“Ay oo, mga player din. Mga mahuhusay din awa ng Diyos,” she said, beaming with pride at her family.
At the end of the day, there was just something about basketball that Lola Carmencita couldn’t shake off. Whether it was heart-stopping action or the flashy plays from up-and-coming players, she’s been in love with the game all her life, and she plans to stay that way.
“Talagang napakaganda [ng basketball],” she said.