Honoring a legacy

Nov. 10 marks a significant date in Philippine basketball history. On that day in 1971, the Philippine men’s basketball team formally qualified for Olympic competition for the last time. In the semifinals of the Asian Basketball Confederation (now FIBA Asia) Championship for Men played in Tokyo, the Nationals defeated South Korea, which was led by the high-scoring Shin Dong Pa, to make it to the final against host Japan. Masatomo Taniguchi and Shigeaki Abe played consistently for the home team, winning the championship over the Filipinos. 

Both teams, however, were qualified to participate in the 1972 Summer Olympics in Munich, Germany. At the Games, the Philippines defeated African champion Senegal, and later got their revenge against the Japanese.

The team was composed of head coach Ignacio “Ning” Ramos, team captain Robert Jaworski, and William “Bogs” Adornado, Adriano “Jun” Papa, Danilo “Danny” Florencio, Freddie Webb, Manuel “Manny” Paner, Rosalio “Yoyong” Martirez, Ricardo “Joy” Cleofas, Joaquin “Jake” Roxas, Jesse Sullano, Lawrence “Larry” Mumar, Alberto “Big Boy” Reynoso and Rogelio “Tembong” Melencio.

“When we got to the Olympics, we looked for the Japanese team,” laughs Martirez, now a Pasig City councilor. “Tembong and some of us would find out where they ate, and he would go there intimidate them. By the time we played, they were so scared and distracted, they couldn’t play well at all.”

In 1973, the Philippines hosted the Asian Basketball Confederation (ABC) Championship in Manila. The next iteration of the national men’s team, built on the core of the previous squad, made it to the finals, again befuddling Shin Dong Pa and company. This entitled the Philippines to play in the 1974 World Basketball Championship in Puerto Rico. At the Worlds, the Filipinos defeated Australia, one of the country’s last triumphs over the land down under. Just over a decade later, Australians were playing in the NBA.

That team, now coached by Valentin “Tito” Eduque and captained by Jimmy Mariano, had added younger and taller players like Ramon Fernandez, Abet Guidaben, Francis Arnaiz and Dave Regullano.

“We didn’t have anything young players today have,” explains Adornado, a three-time PBA Most Valuable Player. ”We rode boats. We played hurt, even injured. Our allowances were so small. We did what we were told. That’s why when players today complain about how hard their life is, we find it funny.”

By now, though, some members of those intrepid teams have already passed away, including both coaches and players Melencio, Mumar and Florencio just to name some. Others have been seriously ill. The team’s surviving members want to do something about it. Any financial and even non-monetary assistance would be of great help to all of them.

There is a solution.

By law, these remarkable gentlemen and their next of kin are entitled to appropriate incentives, discount privileges, retirement and death benefits. Pursuant to Republic Act No. 9064 or the “National Athletes, Coaches and Trainers Incentives Act of 2001,” national athletes who qualify for international competitions are entitled to substantial benefits. Teams are entitled to double the incentive of an individual athlete, to be divided equally among the team members. Republic Act No. 10699 then expanded the scope of the original R.A. 9064. Both laws grant incentives and benefits to national athletes and teams that have qualified and competed at the Asian, World and Olympic level, which both teams have accomplished. 

The surviving members of our 1971-72 and 1973-74 teams who are in the country are meeting to write the Philippine Sports Commission to help them receive their benefits, which some of them are in dire need of. This will both acknowledge and honor their trailblazing service to the country.