HBCU Makes Offer to Recruit Teen Basketball Player With One Arm

Hansel Emmanuel Donato Dominguez, a 17-year old from Florida who is a star basketball player with just one arm, has been offered a full scholarship to play for Tennessee State University, an HBCU in Nashville.

At the age of 6, Emmanuel had his left arm amputated when a wall collapsed on him while he was playing in his native Dominican Republic. His father was able to rescue him but only after 2 hours of being trapped, causing him to lose his arm.

Despite the limitation, Emmanuel pushed through and became a skillful basketball player. He moved to the United States in 2020 after receiving a scholarship to play basketball at Life Christian Academy school in Kissimmee, Florida.

Most recently, he earned his first Division I offer. He took to his Instagram, “Blessed to receive my first D1 offer from Tennessee State University.”

His parents, especially his father Hansel Salvador Donato who is a former pro basketball player in the Dominican Republic, are proud of him.

“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 told the Orlando Sentinel. “You remember everything [from the accident] because a blow like this is not forgotten, so quickly regardless of all that he is achieving, thanks to God.”

Moreover, Emmanuel is still in the process of learning the English language but said that his teammates had been helpful to him and they “understand each other between shots to the basket.” He said his faith in God also helps him to become successful in what he does.

“It’s not about what I want to achieve or do in life, it’s what God wants from me,” he said.