SF Basketball Team Seeks Funds To Travel To National Tournament

SAN FRANCISCO, CA — The San Francisco Believers, a women’s basketball team, is seeking donations to help travel to the NACBA Chinese Invitational Basketball Tournament in Rock Hill, South Carolina on May 27-30.

The team provides an opportunity for players to keep playing basketball recreationally beyond high school or college, according to Howard Chin, the Director of the Girls Basketball Program for Chinese American Student Exposure.

Chin set up a GoFundMe with a goal of $7,000, which would go toward airfare and other associated travel costs.

The Believers will be one of six teams participating in the women’s open division. There are 12 divisions total in the tournament. The team won the 2019 women’s open championship in Chicago, and is looking to defend its title in the tournament’s first year back since the pandemic.

Chin told Patch that the tournament is a great outlet for players across the country to get to know one another.

“The common goal for all of us is to help the Asian community however we can in terms of encouraging us to continue the programs,” Chin said.

Chin added that some of the other teams have been helping them fundraise so the team can get there. He sees the tournament as a chance to grow the Asian American basketball community.

“For many of us who were older, we were raised by immigrant families,” Chin said. “We basically didn't have opportunities to play in the tournament when we were younger. So, what we're trying to do now is try to provide opportunities for today's generations and future generations to play in these tournaments.”

Click here to view the fundraiser on GoFundMe.