Surrey school tourney remembers Thunder hoops star Raphael Alcoreza
Published 11:00 am Tuesday, May 12, 2026
Panorama Ridge Secondary’s gym was filled with memories of Raphael Alcoreza on Saturday, May 9.
An annual alumni tournament honours the popular teen basketball star, who collapsed during a game in 2017 and died in hospital a week later.
This year’s RA 22 tourney saw 16 teams in action at the Newton school including 14 with alumni and two with current Thunder players, in a four-on-four format.
“We had very competitive matches, and it was great seeing old students, players and parents,” reported teacher Raman Bedi, who coached Raphael for five years at Panorama Ridge.
“It’s truly a day everyone enjoys with healthy competition, lots of food, many prizes and awards, but most importantly a day to celebrate and remember Raphael Alcoreza.”
Close to $31,000 in scholarships have been given to student-athletes since the start of the alumni tournament, Bedi noted. This year, $1,500 scholarships went to four students (Dante Orie, Emani Aujla, Mistura Dejonwo, Gurleen Mann), $6,000 total.
Tournament photos and details are posted on instagram.com/thunderalumnibball.
Raphael was a busy basketball player, budding barber and volunteer with Surrey Crime Prevention Society, and eventually wanted to pursue firefighting as a career. Born in the Saudi Arabian city of Jeddah, he had dreams of playing pro ball in the Philippines one day, perhaps after courting one university or another.
“Sometime in my life,” Raphael wrote in a player profile, “I would like to travel the world and enjoy my life to the fullest to see what the world has in store for me.”
During an exhibition game in Surrey at Holy Cross Regional High School on Nov. 28, 2017, Raphael complained to coaches of feeling dizzy and lightheaded. The Grade 12 athlete sought fresh air outside, where he collapsed due to cardiac arrest. Rushed to hospital by ambulance, Alcoreza spent the next eight days at Royal Columbian Hospital before he died, surrounded by family and friends.
A candlelight vigil at the school drew close to 1,200 people, and an online fundraiser collected more than $36,000 for his family.