Bailey Duffy is a man on a mission, and it’s about to take him and his basketball across the seas.
Bailey, 18, is preparing to fly out to the Philippines on May 18 to play in the college basketball system there, the first step on a path he hopes will take him to the professional ranks.
It’s a long way from the Sydenham Panthers.
“I used to play tennis, until about year 6 when I started watching basketball and it just became my passion from there,” Bailey said. “I was pretty bad early on, didn’t really make rep teams early, but I put in the hard work and it started to pay off.”
Looking to take the next step, he turned his eyes overseas, and despite some offers from US colleges, he chose to head to the Philippines following advice from a friend.
“One of my best friends is from the Philippines and told me he was going over there to play in their college system, so I started looking at that and it looked like the best option,” he said.
“There were only partial scholarships available in America, but in the Philippines I’ll get food, housing, shoes, clothes, so they look after you.
“Hopefully I can develop there and put myself up for a draft afterwards.”
