Sports officials grace ‘Hall’ rites

Members of the Asiad-bound national basketball team, Basketball Association of the Philippines officials, PSC chair Eric Buhain and Sen. Robert Jaworski will grace the third enshrinement ceremonies for the basketball Hall of Fame tomorrow at the Manila Peninsula Hotel ballroom.

To be enshrined are basketball greats Loreto Carbonell, Kurt Bachmann, Alfonso "Boy" Marquez, Geronimo Cruz and the trio of Carlos Badion, Eduardo Lim and Mariano Tolentino, which already passed away.

"Truly the evening is going to be memorable for all of us. The new members of the Hall of Fame deserve the honor and appreciation of our country," said former Representative and now Bukidnon Gov. Jose Zubiri Jr., who chairs the steering committee.

The Board of Trustees of the National Basketball Hall of Fame Foundation, Inc. is headed by respected businessmen-sportsmen Manolo Lopez of Meralco and Fernando Zobel de Ayala of the Ayala Corporation, chair and vice-chair, respectively.

Already in the Hall of Fame are Fely Fajardo, Charles Brock, Jacinto Ciria Cruz, Primitivo Martinez, Ramoncito Campos, Ed Ocampo, Gabriel Fajardo, Narciso Bernardo, Lauro Mumar, Carlos Loyzaga, Rafael Hechanova Sr., Pocholo Martinez and Francisco Vestil.

Quintelino "Tiny" Literal, BAP president, secretary-general Graham Lim, legal counsel Bonifacio Alentajan and treasurer Christian Tan will lead the BAP group, while Buhain, an Olympian swimmer, is expected to bring his commissioners in the event.

"This event is a worthy undertaking," said Literal. "The BAP fully supports the Hall of Fame."

National coach Jong Uichico and his players, who are deeply training for the Asian Games on September at Busan, South Korea will also rub shoulders with the past stalwarts of Philippine caging.

Badion, Lim, Carbonell, Bachman, Marquez and Cruz saw action for the proud Philippine team which placed eighth in the 1959 Chile World Basketball Championship, in the Olympics and excelled in the Asian Games and ABC tournament.

Tolentino was a product of Jose Rizal College and at 6-foot-2 was considered one of the tallest Filipino cagers of his time. Tolentino also played for Chelsea, Prisco and Heacock, etc. Called Nano by his friends, the lanky dribbler was one of the sparkplugs of the national team under Hermino Silva which placed third in the 1954 Brazil world cagefest.