Flight of the Falcon: Langara’s Jitinder Lohcham

Langara Falcons’ forward Jitinder Lohcham is a big part of why his team sits atop the PacWest B.C. men’s basketball league, and remains the highest ranked team in the province.

Recently, Lohcham was given his second athlete of the week award for this season, making it six straight for the Langara Falcons.

“I always just try to come in and play my best every game,” said Lohcham. “But I ended up playing really well both offensively and defensively and I figure that’s why they gave me player of the week.”

Lohcham was quick to note that much of his personal success can be credited to his teammates setting him up and making him feel confident and comfortable in his position on offence.

A modest big man

That’s exactly the type of player Jitinder Lohcham is: modest. According to head coach Paul Eberhardt, he is relatively quiet on and off the court, but he will seize any opportunity to speak up and lead the team. He recognizes a crucial need for the team to work together to accomplish their goals.

“I think it’s mainly that everyone is playing together; no one is being selfish, everyone works together and just plays hard,” said Lohcham.

The coach that turned it around

The 6’7” forward also believes that the coach has a great deal to do with the team’s rise to prominence. After a disappointing rookie season, coach Eberhardt was brought in to turn things around. And that’s exactly what he did: a third place finish at the national level last year.

“He just demands perfection,” said Lohcham.

This is mainly because Eberhardt holds his forward in such high regard.

“Jit [Lohcham] is a very talented, big man,” said Eberhardt. “He’s very capable of playing at this level and I think at a level beyond.”

Looking to the future, Lohcham is hopeful that his skills as a basketball player might land him a spot in one of Europe or China’s professional leagues. For the time being, he is focused on earning his recreation leadership diploma. He is also considering firefighting as another career option.

Reported by Ben Zutter