100 Years of Philippine Sports
Philippine
Basketball
Basketball
Far Eastern Games
The Far Eastern Athletic Asssociation (FEAA) was organized on February 10, 1913 to popularize sport and to develop the athletic spirit and a feeling of fraternity and goodwill among the peoples of the Orient. Thus was born the Far Eastern Games, held every two years with its first members – China, Japan and the Philippines – playing host in rotation.
Having captured the athletic spirit from the Americans who introduced Western sports in the Philippines, the Filipinos were a formidable contender for honors in the Far Eastern Games. In team sports, the Filipinos won nine of the ten basketball championships, China having broken their string of victories at the Fifth Games.*
(Photos of Philippine Basketball Team and other sports teams are included in the book “100 Years of Philippine Sports)
* Wikipedia
The Far Eastern Athletic Asssociation (FEAA) was organized on February 10, 1913 to popularize sport and to develop the athletic spirit and a feeling of fraternity and goodwill among the peoples of the Orient. Thus was born the Far Eastern Games, held every two years with its first members – China, Japan and the Philippines – playing host in rotation.
Having captured the athletic spirit from the Americans who introduced Western sports in the Philippines, the Filipinos were a formidable contender for honors in the Far Eastern Games. In team sports, the Filipinos won nine of the ten basketball championships, China having broken their string of victories at the Fifth Games.*
(Photos of Philippine Basketball Team and other sports teams are included in the book “100 Years of Philippine Sports)
* Wikipedia
Berlin, 8 August 1936. Men’s basketball match
between Mexico (3rd Place) and the Philippines
(30-32) at the Games of the XI Olympiad. (photo and caption
By Wikipedia)
between Mexico (3rd Place) and the Philippines
(30-32) at the Games of the XI Olympiad. (photo and caption
By Wikipedia)
RP BASKETBALL TEAM
Fifth Place
Berlin Olympics 1936
Berlin, Germany
The Berlin Olympians, called “The Islanders” representing the Philippine Islands, finished fifth in the 1936 Olympic Games in Berlin. The Nazi held Germany under its iron rule. But a Philippine basketball team bravely faced the odds and surprised everyone by winning over Mexico, Estonia, Italy and Uruguay. The RP team lost only to the United States for a 4-1 record, but still failed to bring home the bronze, no thanks to a controversial ruling. Still, it was the country's highest finish in basketball in the Olympics.
It was led by Ambrosio Padilla with Jacinto “Jumping Jack) Ciria Cruz, Primitivo Martinez, Charles Borck (who at 6’1 was the tallest in the team), Jesus Marzan, Franco Marquicias, Fortunato Yambao, Amador Obordo, Bibiano Ouano and Johnny Worrel as team members (More team photos included in the book).
Fifth Place
Berlin Olympics 1936
Berlin, Germany
The Berlin Olympians, called “The Islanders” representing the Philippine Islands, finished fifth in the 1936 Olympic Games in Berlin. The Nazi held Germany under its iron rule. But a Philippine basketball team bravely faced the odds and surprised everyone by winning over Mexico, Estonia, Italy and Uruguay. The RP team lost only to the United States for a 4-1 record, but still failed to bring home the bronze, no thanks to a controversial ruling. Still, it was the country's highest finish in basketball in the Olympics.
It was led by Ambrosio Padilla with Jacinto “Jumping Jack) Ciria Cruz, Primitivo Martinez, Charles Borck (who at 6’1 was the tallest in the team), Jesus Marzan, Franco Marquicias, Fortunato Yambao, Amador Obordo, Bibiano Ouano and Johnny Worrel as team members (More team photos included in the book).
World Basketball Championships
The RP BASKETBALL TEAM placed third, the highest by
any Asian team in theWorld Basketball Championships, in
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil in 1954. Players (not in order as shown)
were Bayani Amador, Rafael Baretto, Florentino Bautista,
Antonio Genato, Carlos Loyzaga, Ramon Manulat, Lauro
Mumar, Francisco Rabat, Ponciano Saldana, and Mariano
Tolentino. Coach was Herminio “Herr” Silva.
Asian Games
The Philippines won the Asian Games basketball championships straight for 4 years – 1951, 1954, 1958, 1962 – in the 1st Asiad (1951, New Delhi, India); 2nd Asiad (1954, Manila, Philippines); 3rd Asiad (1958, Tokyo , Japan ); and the 4th Asiad, (1962, Jakarta, Indonesia).
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(Photos of the winning Philippine basketball teams are included in the book “100 Years of Philippine Sports.”)
The RP BASKETBALL TEAM placed third, the highest by
any Asian team in theWorld Basketball Championships, in
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil in 1954. Players (not in order as shown)
were Bayani Amador, Rafael Baretto, Florentino Bautista,
Antonio Genato, Carlos Loyzaga, Ramon Manulat, Lauro
Mumar, Francisco Rabat, Ponciano Saldana, and Mariano
Tolentino. Coach was Herminio “Herr” Silva.
Asian Games
The Philippines won the Asian Games basketball championships straight for 4 years – 1951, 1954, 1958, 1962 – in the 1st Asiad (1951, New Delhi, India); 2nd Asiad (1954, Manila, Philippines); 3rd Asiad (1958, Tokyo , Japan ); and the 4th Asiad, (1962, Jakarta, Indonesia).
¬¬¬
(Photos of the winning Philippine basketball teams are included in the book “100 Years of Philippine Sports.”)