His basketball talents are unquestionable and his scoring ability is remarkable. But Hansel Emmanuel Donato Domínguez’s game is not the first thing that wows people when they see him play.
It’s the fact that he only has one arm.
When he was 6, Donato Dominguez was buried under the rubble when a wall he was playing near in his native Dominican Republic collapsed. After two hours, he was rescued his father.
Unfortunately, Dominguez’s arm had to be amputated.
It was a devastating blow for his parents, one that might destroy families. Losing his arm essentially ended his dreams of playing baseball, a sport the young boy loved. But their faith was strong and they knew that their son had a higher purpose.
That purpose arrived a year later when his son picked up a basketball and asked ‘Daddy, how do I do this?’.
“My life fell apart when Hansel’s accident happened. I was the one with him and when they had to amputate his arm, I felt like it was all over. But God grabbed us and led us down this path,“ his father, Hansel Salvador Donato, said to The Orlando Sentinel.
Donato started dribbling and fell in love with the sport. He became an internet sensation, fans on Instagram posting videos of the one-armed player dominating and dunking on the competition.
This week, that hard work paid off as Hansel Emmanuel Donato Domínguez received his first D1 scholarship offer from HBCU program Tennessee State University.
“Blessed to receive my first D1 offer from Tennessee State University,” posted the 17-year-old Donato Domínguez. “Thank you for believing in my talents.”
Last year, Donato moved to the United States and attended Life Christian Academy in Kissimmee, Fl. There his talents were put on display for all to see, especially the Tigers of Tennessee State.
It was a culture shock for the teen basketball sensation. He’s still learning English so it’s a daily challenge for him. But on the court, communication is universal, which is one of the reasons why he loves the game.
“My thing is to play basketball. I am not fluent in English and that makes it difficult for me to communicate with my teammates, but many of them help me and, well, we understand each other between shots to the basket,“ he told The Sentinel.
The 6-5 Dominican star works hard on his game and English, but he now has his first offer at the next level.
And through his faith and talents, he has the opportunity to continue his dreams of playing pro basketball like his favorite player, Kevin Durant.
“God always has a purpose. I am living His mission, what He wants me to do in this life. Everything I do, I do it with God first and for my family, they are everything [to me],“ said Donato.
Keep dribbling young man. Saludo.
