Philippines, 13 Sep 2025
  Home >> News

 


BOXERS

CURRENT CHAMPIONS 

FORMER CHAMPIONS   

RATINGS                       

NEWS           

FORUM        

FIGHT GALLERIES        

RING CARD GIRLS        


 
 
News  


From 1951 to 1962, Pinoy cagers lorded it over their counterparts in Asiad


PhilBoxing.com




In streaking to four straight Asian Games title wins in basketball from 1951 to 1962, the Philippines emerged victors in 23 games and losing only once.

The Filipinos had, in fact, emerged triumphant in 14 of their 16 outings in crowning themselves kings of the court in three consecutive times in 1951, 1954 and 1958 before suffering their first and only defeat at the hands of Republic of China (now Taiwan).

Our boys actually brought home our first Asiad diadem unscathed in New Delhi when the team, coached by Dionisio ?Chito? Calvo, hurdled all their four assignments ? 63-19, over Burma; 65-41, over Iran; 57-43, over Japan; and 66-36, over host india.

Calvo?s side was made up of team captain Antonio Martinez, Francisco Calilan, Andres de la Cruz, Genaro Fernandez, Jose Gochangco, Luis Lorenzo, Carlos Loyzaga, Lauro Mumar, Ignacio Ramos, Meliton Santos and Mariano Tolentino. Alternate was Luis Tabuena.

Hechanova came back four years later right here in Manila and skippered the Nationals this time composed of similarly come backing Loyzaga, Tolentino, Mumar and Ramos and reinforced by rookies Bayani Amador, Florentino Bautista, Jose Ma. Cacho, Napoleon Flores, Antonio Genato, Eduardo Lim, Ramon Manulat and Ponciano Saldana.

Handled by bench tactician Herminio ?Herr? Silva, the 1954 squad regaled their cheering countrymen in beating the enemies that came their way scoring an 82-63 triumph over Singapore; a whooping 105-41 outclassing of Cambodia; 84-45, of Korea; 65-40 of Japan; 76-52 again of Korea; and a closer 34-27 of Republic of China to keep the title back-to-back.

The 1954 Nationals were practically the same team the country sent to Rio de Janeiro in Brazil for the Second World Men?s Championship. Skippered by Mumar, the team finished third, an accomplishment no other Asian nation has matched up to the present time.

It was also in Brazil where Loyzaga earned the distinction of being named as member the world?s mythical squad, the first Asian to have been accorded the honor.

Not to be outdone, the Nationals that invaded Tokyo in 1958, likewise, went home undefeated in gifting the country its third straight diadem. Coached by Valentin ?Tito? Eduque, they rocked up four victories in-a-row before meeting their equal in the Taiwanese, who cut short he Filipinos? 13 straight win since 1951 with a 93-88 conquest of the three-time defending champion.

For the third consecutive Asian Games staging, Loyzaga and Tolentino made it in 1958 in Tokyo combining talents with second-timers Lim and Manulat, Emilio Achacoso, Kurt Bachmann, Carlos Badion, Loreto Carbonell, Francisco Lagarejos, Leonardo Marquicias, Constancio Ortiz Jr. Martin Urra, Antonio Villamor and Francis Wilson.

Jakarta, this year?s host of the 18th Asiad, happens to be where the fourth edition of the quadrennial meeting among the best and the finest athletes in the region and the site, too, where the Philippines last tasted the championship in 1962.

Loyzaga led the Filipinos? last stand as titleholder, teaming up with Bachmann, Engracio Arazas, Narciso Bernardo, Geronimo Cruz, Manuel Jicson, Alfonso Marquez, Roehl Nadufaa, Eduardo Pacheco, Cristobal Ramas, Alberto Reynoso, Edgardo Roque, Joselino Roa, Jose Laganson. Coach was Enrique Crame.

AS in the country?s first three title conquests, Loyzaga and company wiped out the opposition unbeaten, They beat Cambodia black and blue, 81-52; Thailand, 72-61; Korea, 84-68; host Indonesia, 107-74; repeated over Thailand, 108-73; Hong Kong 100-68; and Japan, 101-67.

The Filipinos came home without a medal of any color in 1966 in Bangkok where they landed in sixth the succeeding Games before a Robert Jaworski mentored all-PBA contingent cut short that medal drought 24 years later in 1990 in Beijing where they brought home the bronze medal.

Headed by Allan Caidic and Samboy Lim, who were both chosen members of he Asiad mythical selection, the team was also made up of Hector Calma, Rey Cuenco, Yves Dignadice, Ramon Fernandez, Dante Gonzalgo, Chito Loyzaga, Ronnie Magsanoc, Benjie Paras, Alvin Patrimonio and Zaldy Realubit.

Back in Bangkok in 1998, the PH Centennial squad made up of Andy Seigle, Jojo Lastimosa, Dennis Espino, Jun Limpot, Vergel Meneses, EJ Feihl, and Olsen Racela joining the star holdovers from the 1990 and 1994 teams Patrimonio, Caidic, Marlow Aquino, Johnny Abarrientos, and Kenneth Duremdes and handled by coach Tim Cone salvaged a bronze medal.

Photo: Samboy "Skywalker" Lim, member, of the 1990 PH Asian Games silver medalist team, who was also named to the Asiad Mythical selection along with Allan Caidic. File photo of EDDIE G. ALINEA.


Click here to view a list of other articles written by Eddie Alinea.


Recent PhilBoxing.com In-House articles:

  • Canelo Alvarez vs Terence Crawford: Size Matters
    By Chris Carlson, , Sat, 13 Sep 2025
  • BOOTS TALKS SPARRING WITH CANELO IN ‘DAY IN THE LIFE’
    , Sat, 13 Sep 2025
  • WEIGHTS FROM LAS VEGAS: CANELO - 167.5 LBS., CRAWFORD - 167.5 LBS.
    By Dong Secuya, , Sat, 13 Sep 2025
  • BELFAST: WEIGH-IN RESULTS AND FIGHT NIGHT RUNNING ORDER
    , Sat, 13 Sep 2025
  • Canoy cancels title fight due to child’s death
    By Lito delos Reyes, , Sat, 13 Sep 2025
  • Vietnam’s Pool Revolution: Hanoi Open Pool Championship
    , Sat, 13 Sep 2025
  • SUNDAY: Naoya Inoue vs. Murodjon Akhmadaliev Undisputed Super Bantamweight Showdown to Stream Exclusively on Top Rank’s Facebook Channel in the U.S. & UK
    , Fri, 12 Sep 2025
  • National Shelter Month Run on October 25 in DGT
    By Lito delos Reyes, , Fri, 12 Sep 2025
  • Canelo-Crawford: Betting Odds Reveal a Battle of Money vs. Public Opinion
    By Dong Secuya, , Fri, 12 Sep 2025
  • BELFAST PRESS CONFERENCE: EVERYTHING LEWIS CROCKER AND PADDY DONOVAN SAID AHEAD OF HISTORIC WORLD TITLE SHOWDOWN
    , Fri, 12 Sep 2025
  • GABRIELA “SWEET POISON” FUNDORA TO DEFEND UNDISPUTED CROWN AGAINST HIGHLY RANKED NEW FOE ALEXAS “IRON LADY” KUBICKI
    , Fri, 12 Sep 2025
  • Chino Sy Tancontian is Sports Hero of the Year 2025
    By Lito delos Reyes, , Fri, 12 Sep 2025
  • Two (or Three) Lefts Make a Right: Francisco Guilledo to Luisito Espinosa
    By Emmanuel Rivera, RRT, , Thu, 11 Sep 2025
  • Yoseline Perez Advances to 2025 World Boxing Championships Semifinals
    , Thu, 11 Sep 2025
  • UNIFIED WORLD CHAMPION OSCAR COLLAZO HOSTS MEDIA WORKOUT
    , Thu, 11 Sep 2025
  • Jerwin Ancajas Set for IBF Mandatory Eliminator Against Former World Champ Ryosuke Nishida; Winner Fights Naoya Inoue
    By Carlos Costa, , Thu, 11 Sep 2025
  • “Night of Champions” Returns to Caribe Royale Resort in Orlando on September 19
    , Thu, 11 Sep 2025
  • Local Favorite Bryce Mills Tops First Boxing Card At del Lago Resort & Casino
    , Thu, 11 Sep 2025
  • Round 12 with Mauricio Sulaiman: It´s Fightweek Fight: Canelo vs. Crawford
    By Mauricio Sulaimán, , Wed, 10 Sep 2025
  • Casimero comeback next month in Kyrgyzstan?
    By Nick Giongco, , Wed, 10 Sep 2025
  • Team USA Concludes Day Six of 2025 World Boxing Championships
    , Wed, 10 Sep 2025
  • Andrade, Garras rule Milo marathon in Tagum
    , Wed, 10 Sep 2025
  • CROCKER-DONOVAN II: INSIDE LOOK AT FIRST FACE-OFF IN BELFAST
    , Wed, 10 Sep 2025
  • Former Panamanian WBA champ Jorge Lujan hospitalized
    By Gabriel F. Cordero, , Wed, 10 Sep 2025
  • Southern Sports Heroes Night on Sept. 28
    By Lito delos Reyes, , Wed, 10 Sep 2025




  •  



     
    PhilBoxing.com has been created to support every aspiring
    Filipino boxer and the Philippine boxing scene in general.
    Please send comments to feedback@philboxing.com


    PRIVATE POLICY | LEGAL DISCLAIMER
    developed and maintained by dong secuya
    © 2025 philboxing.com.