58. A Life of Hurdling Barriers: JULIAN R. SAPNU, 1917 Far East Games Medalist

The Central Luzon running champion of the 1910s-1920s decade was born JULIAN R. SAPNU of humble origin on 3 January 1892 in Bacolor, Pampanga. In that rustic, old town, the country boy Julian—like all youngsters attending U.S. administered public schools, took to running as part of the school’s required physical education subject.

An all-around athlete, Sapnu competed regularly at the Central Luzon Athletic Association Meets as a hurdler and sprinter. He made news when, as a member of the Pampanga contingent to the 1917 competition, he and his team mates Domingo Garcia, Wencesla Dizon, and Prudencio Lumanlan, equalled the existing 1915 meet record in the 880 yard relay with a time of 1:38.6 mins. He was thus recommended by the provincial athletic association to the national try-outs to determine the members of the Philippine team that will be sent to the 1917 Far Eastern Championship Games--the Oriental Olympics--slated for 8-12 May in Tokyo, Japan.

To his utter surprise,  Sapnu passed the qualifying test, along with his kabalen, Magin Ferrer of San Fernando and Silvestre Manaloto of Mexico. He was already 25 years old at that time, rather senior for a meet where athletes were mostly 18 to 20 years old. Sapnu sailed for Japan in April aboard the passenger ship Panay. His passport indicated that he stood 5 feet tall, with an “oval face, small nose with a broad base, medium forehead and mouth, round chin and black eyes”.

Sapnu officially competed in the 220 yds Hurdles (straight) and set a record of sort for the Philippines as the fighting Filipinos completed a 1-2-3 sweep of all the medals up for grabs. The Gold Medal went to 19 year old Manila student Isabelo Astroquillo (28.6 secs.), Silver to 18 year old Calbayog student Calixto Bello (28.8 secs.), and the Bronze to Kapampangan Julian Sapnu (29 secs. flat).\

The Philippines also won the 4 x 220 yd. (or 880 yd.)  Relay, which was one of Sapnu’s favorite races. The composition of the 4-member team, however, was not recorded, but it is almost certain that Sapnu was part of the victorious men’s relay team that trounced Japan and China. These track events (220 yd. hurdles, 4 x 220 yd. relay) are no longer standard events at most athletic meets, including the Olympics.

Still, a single Bronze Medal in an international meet is surely not bad for someone who, just months ago, was just another provincial athlete with a potential waiting to be unlocked. And he showed how great that potential was when, returning to the 1918 CLAA Meet, he once again equalled the 4 x 220 yds relay meet record along with team-mates Wenceslao Dizon, Florentino Ravalo, and Catalino Dizon. As per records, it was still standing in 1935.

It would seem that after 1917, there is little we know of Sapnu’s athletic career. We do know he remained in Potrero, Bacolor where he married Melencia (or Nemencia) P. Cano around 1919, as by 1920 they had their first daughters Amelia and Carmelita (both born within 1920), followed by Perlita (1922),  Lorita (b.1926), Leonardo (b.1930), and Eloy (b.1931). After his running years were over, Julian R. Sapnu became a police officer of the San Fernando Police Department, the neighboring capital town of Pampanga.

A 1932 news item indicated that on 15 July 1931, the provincial commander filed a complaint against Sapnu and was investigated by the San Fernando municipal council regarding an unspecified charge. The matter was referred to the provincial board. However, Sapnu was given a copy of the charges only on 6 Jan. 1932, some 5 months later, instead of the 5-day period set by the administrative code. The Executive Office declared thus that the board has no jurisdiction to investigate, and the case was dropped.

Sapnu lived to see his children get married and have families. Since then,  nothing more was heard of this great Central Luzon champion runner who gave the country a cause for celebration, with his modest, but historic contribution to Philippine sports, at a time when we were one of the top 3 best-performing countries in regional Athletics. Julian Sapnu passed away on 19 Mach 1966 at the age of 74.

SOURCES;

Central Luzon Athletic Association 1934-1935 Program

Passport Applications - Philippine Islands, Volume 25 (5600-5849)

Investigacion Contra un Policia, Anulada, El Fiscal Declara Que la junta provincial no tiene facultades para ella”, La Vanguardia, 16 Dec. 1932, p. 1

 

57. 2-Time Olympian JIKIRUM ADJALUDDIN, Sulu’s Sultan of Swim

Sulu has had a deep and long involvement in the history of Philippine aquatic sports, and its long list of swimmers and their legacy are irrefutable proofs, their names still held in reverence for those who remember: Tamse, Jakaria, Arasad, Usman, Ali, and the most acclaimed of them all, JIKIRUM ADJALUDDIN.

Surprisingly, for an athlete as celebrated as  Jikirum Adjaluddin (b. 11 Jan. 1912), there is not much known about his early life in Sulu. He arrived at the scene when the prowess of “the Moro swimmers” was coming to its peak. In 1928, Tausug Tuburan Tamse, became the first Muslim swimmer to become an Olympian in Amsterdam. This pioneer Olympian share the same story as his fellow Tausugs who were driven to leave their province to find better opportunities in Luzon.

A few got into Manila schools like Tamse, but many, like Adjaluddin, enlisted with the U.S. Army-Philippine Scouts division in 1929, which had an excellent sports training program in athletics and swimming. It is in the latter sport that the Muslim boys excelled for they were natural-born swimmers, growing up surrounded by the waters of their island province.

Natural-Born Swimmer

Adjaluddin took to swimming easily, and became so skilled that he was sent to compete at the 1929 Philippine-Formosa Dual Meet and to the 1930 Far East Games in Japan. There, together with Teofilo Yldefonso, they would both meet—and beat the 1928 Olympic gold medalist, Yoshiyuki Tsuruta in the 200 m. breast stroke, for a rare 1-2 Filipino finish.

Indeed, he became a prized all-around swimmer of the 45^th Infantry (Philippine Scouts), an honor shared with his more seasoned team mate, Teofilo Yldefonso, 10 years his senior, and member of the 5^th Infantry. The two would engage in friendly rivalry during the annual inter-department athletic tournament called McKinley Games , with separate events for both Filipino and American cadets.

In the 1931 edition held from Dec. 18-19, Adjaluddin participated in just one aquatic event---the 1 Mile Swim. To the shock of the crowd, he upset the Olympian Yldefonso who came in 3^rd, and finished with a New Dept. Record of 22 minutes 27 and 2/5 secs. This time also beat the 1-Mile Swim record of the American Cameron of the Air Corps, who clocked in at 27 mins. 3 secs.—a full 5 minutes slower!

Swimming His Way to L.A. 1932

Swimming officials of the P.A.A.F. kept a watchful eye on Adjaluddin as the next year, he was invited to try out for the Philippine Olympic Team being assembled to compete at the 10^th World Olympics in Los Angeles, California. The tryouts were conducted at the Rizal Memorial Pool on Saturday, 21 May 1932. The swimmers were whittled down to just 6: Arasad Arpad, Teofilo Yldefonso, Nils Adolf Christiansen, Tuburan Tamse, Abdurahman Ali, and Jikirum Adjaluddin. The 6 swimmers contested the 3 Olympic spots by swimming the 100 m., 400 m. (freestyle), and the 200 m. breaststroke.

The 20 year old Adjuladdin, the youngest of the batch, stunned the crowd and officials when he swam the 200 m. breast stroke at 2 mins, 47 secs.—which broke the existing record of Tsuruta of 2 mins. 48.8 sec. established in the last 1928 Olympics--faster by 1.8 secs.

When all the times have been examined, Adjaluddin—with Yldefonso and Ali—were announced as official members of the Philippine Swim Team for L.A. Both Adjaluddin and Yldefonso were assigned the breaststroke events while Ali, the 100 m. freestyle sprint.

The Philippine delegation set sail for the U.S. on 11 June 1932, on board the ship “Tatsuta Maru” arriving on time on 30 July in California, in time for the aquatic events scheduled from Aug. 6-13 at the Olympic natatorium. Local papers updated Filipino sports fans about the performance of the national athletes.

First Olympics, Fifth at the Finish!

The initial news of the preliminary events were very encouraging—for the 200 m. breast stroke event,  Yldefonso topped his heat ahead of the American world record holder, Walter Spence. Adjaluddin, in his first Olympics—came in 2^nd to the current Olympic champion Yoshiyuki Tsuruta. The 2 Filipinos were through to the Semifinals.

The 2 Semifinal Races  were held on the same day, with 9 swimmers contesting the 6 Finalist slots. Adjaluddin placed 3^rd in the first race topped by Tsuruta and the schoolboy Koike, while Yldefonso placed 2^nd to the German, Eugene Sietas. It was unimaginable to conceive that 2 Filipinos were now in the swimming finals of the world’s greatest sports event—and the news of their double feats were proudly bannered in the front pages of local newspapers

In the Finals, however, only one Filipino was fated get a podium finish. Experience won over youth when Yldefonso placed third, winning the Bronze. The veteran Tsuruta won the Gold over the teener, Koike, who bagged the Silver.

Adjaluddin came in 5^th, an incredible finish in his debut Olympic appearance—and he would return to the country with great adulation and much rejoicing at the Fort McKinley garrison. Many congratulatory radio-grams across the Pacific were received on their behalf by his Coach Joaquin Alviar of the Post Y.M.C.A and the head of the Philippine delegation, Prof. Candido Bartolome.

Newspapers heaped praises on Adjaluddin’s feat: “the Moro lad departed for L.A. as a dark horse, and to observers, it seemed as though he might spring a surprise. He had repeatedly won over Yldefonso in the latter’s favorite event in the Olympic try-outs..  However, age and experience were needed before he can stand in the first, second, or third order. Given a few more years, Jikirum may yet forge to the front in the next Olympics”.

Going Farther at the Far East Games, 1934

Indeed, Jikirum Adjaluddin trained even harder in his quest for another chance at Olympic glory, joining high-level meets like the 1933 McKinley Games, the 1933 1^st and Philippine Endurance Marathon Swim (winner), An invitation from the Australian Swimming Association for Adjaluddin and Yldefonso  to swim in a series of meets from January to February in Melbourne had to be shelved because of schedule conflicts—the 1934 Far East Games were coming to Manila.

Jikirum gain an instant berth in the Philippine swim team for the 1934 Far Eastern Games in Manila held from 16-20 May 1934. He would win 2 medals in the regional meet, a Bronze in the 200 m. breast stroke, and Silver in the 4 x 200m. relay. There was no time to catch his breath, as he was sent off  to the 1934 International Army-Navy YMCA Pentathlon—which was actually an athletic event, but which he topped anyway!, His last tune-up for the next Olympics was the 1935 Philippines-Formosa Dual Swim Meet.

Keeping Abreast with the Best in Berlin, 1936

With a new Philippine record for the 100 m. freestyle under his belt at 58.9 secs, the breast stroke specialist Adjaluddin was ready for the 1936 Berlin Olympics. Joining him in Germany were Yldefonso on his 3^rd Olympics, another breast stroker Arsad Alpad, backstroke record holder Fil-Am Nils Christensen and freestyler Jose Obial (freestyle).

In Berlin, Adjaluddin had 3 chances of winning a medal, as he was entered in 3 events: 100 m. free, 200 m. breast stroke and the 4 x 200 freestyle men’s relay. In the 100 m. free, held on Aug. 8, Obial was eliminated outright , while Adjaluddin came in 2^nd in heat 3 with a time of 1:01.0 secs, after British Mickey Ffrench Williams, thus qualifying for the Semifinals. 

Adjaluddin lucked out, timing in at 1:00.5 secs, sharing 5^th place with 2 other swimmers with identical times—and was shut off from the Finals. The 100 m. crown was won by Hungary’s Feren Csik in 57.6 secs., trailed by 2 Japanese.

After 2 days’ rest, the Philippine team of Adjaluddin, Christensen, Alpad and Obial were supposed to enter the 4 x 200 m. men’s freestyle relay, but “did not start” (DNS) or opted not to participate.

Adjaluddin’s last chance for a podium finish was for his pet event—the 200 m. breast stroke slated for Aug. 13-14. But 2 compatriots were also on the same hunt for a medal--Arsad Alpad and Teofilo Yldefonso. The three hurdled their preliminary heats with ease.

Unfortunately, in the Semifinals, Adjaluddin’ 2:54.0 secs.  and Alpad’s 2:54.6 secs.were not enough to advance;  only the 33 year old Yldefonso was left fighting for a medal at the Finals, which did not come. Yldefonso took 7^th place while  Japanese Tetsuo Hamoro and Reizo Koike, finished 1-3. Erwin Sietas of Germany, whom Yldefonso had beaten in the last Olympics, placed second.

Riding the Post-Olympic Wave

Adjaluddin concluded his Olympic journey with his 1936 Berlin stint, but not his love for the water. Sulu’s Pool Royalty continued to be the toast of Philippine swimming, remaining active and competitive before the outbreak of war. 

In the second week of July 1938, Adjaluddin was picked by the P.A.A.F to compete at the Philippine-Hongkong Swimming Meet, along with the Philippines' best at the Rizal Natatorium. Representing San Beda, he was fielded in 2 events: the 100 m. individual freestyle race and the 4 x100 m. freestyle men's team relay. 

The next year,  1939, he was one of the participants at the Formosa Dual Meet that was held also at the Rizal Memorial pool from Sep. 1 to 3. He had also been there at the 1935 and 1937 biennial games. He reunited with his former team mates Arsad Alpad and Teofilo Yldefonso , in this goodwill meet against the best of Formosan tankers.

On 16, Mar. 1940, Philippine Olympic stars, Adjaluddin and Yldefonso, gave a thrilling exhibition at the opening of a new 25 m. x 12 m.  swimming pool in San Juan, Rizal. Also invited were outstanding swimmers from U.P., UST, FEU and M.I.T. A record crowd attended the inauguration of the new Php22,000 pool that was also graced by the 1939 Miss Philippines, Iluminada Tuazon.

Later in the year, at the National Rover Scouts Conference (a gathering of older Boy Scouts from 16-25 years old) held from Dec. 29-31 in Manila, Adjaluddin gave swimming demonstrations and life-saving techniques on water as part of the water safety activities of the program.

Like all Philippine Army men, Corporal Jikirum Adjaluddin was called to active duty during the war, but nothing was heard about him. He is reported to have died young, at age 26, on 1 April 1938 as his date of passing. This is erroneous as newspapers show that from 1939-40, he was still making appearances in meets and swimming-related events.

He must have survived the war unlike his contemporaries Yldefonso and Ali who perished in defense of the country. A more reliable  informant comes from Farida Usman Fischer, a relative, who declares that Adjaluddin,  passed away in Zamboanga City in the 1990s.

For 80 years, Jikirum Adjaluddin held the distinction of being the only Southeast Asian to qualify for the Semifinals in multiple Olympic swimming events, a feat repeated only in 2016 by Singaporean Joseph Schooling and Quah Zheng Wen. Adjaluddin will always be remembered as a leading figure in the glorious age of Philippine swimming, when, from the late 1920s to the 1970s, Sulu swimmers ruled the waters and reigned supreme.

SOURCES:

“Las Pruebas Olimpicas de Pista, Manana”, La Vanguardia, 20 May 1932, p. 3

“Yldefonso y Jikirum Se Cualifican Para Los Semifinales”, La Vanguardia, 12 Aug. 1932, p.3

“Yldefonso, Jikirum en los Finales”, La Vanguardia, 13 Aug. 1932

“Jikirum Hace Nuevo Tiempo Para 200 Mts.”, Desportes de La Vanguardia, 23 May 1932, p. 3

“Jikirum Places Second Behind Tsuruta Who Sets New Olympic Mark with 2:26.02”, The Tribune, 13 Aug. 1932, p. 7

“Las Sensaciones Intimas; las Sorpresas; los Pequeños y Grandes Recuerdos de la Olimpiada Revelados por Primera Vez”, Seccion del Hogar, La Vanguarda, 24 Sep. 1932, p. 11

“Yldefonso, Jikirum in Breast stroke Finals”, The Tribune, 14 Aug. 1932, p. 26

“Post Mermen Congratulated”, The Tribune, 16 August 1932, p. 7

“Jikirum Wins Marathon Swim”, The Tribune, 14 Feb. 1933, p. 7

“En Los Campeonatos de Natacion”, La Vanguardia, 8 Feb. 1934

“Jikirum Competes in  the 100-Meter Freestyle”, The Tribune, 1936

“Swimming, Cage Meets on Today”, The Tribune, 8 Aug. 1936, p. 9

“Swimmers Prepare for Formosa Meet”, The Tribune, 24 June 1939, p. 14

“P. I. Olympic Stars Give Exhibition at New Pool’, The Tribune, 17 Mar. 1940, p. 31

“Stage Set for Moot”, The Tribune, 20 Dec. 1940, p. 21

Official Report of the 1932 Olympic Games. Publication Year, 1933.

Official Report of the 1936 Olimpic Games, Publication Year, 1937

56. The Flight of Her Javelins: ERLINDA LAVANDIA (1975 to present)

There have only been a handful of successful female javelin throwers from decades in the Philippines—names like Asian Games medalists Vivencia Sabado (1954) , Marcelina Alonso (1966), and national record holder Josephine de la Viña (1971) come to mind.  But no other athlete was as stellar as the ERLINDA LAVANDIA, who dominated the field event for decades, beginning with her debut appearance at the Northern Mindanao Regional Athletic Meet, leading to her amazing medal run in 9 editions in the Southeast Asian Games, where she secured 9 podium finishes, 4 of them Gold.

So untouchable was Lavandia, that she extended her wins long after her retirement, by participating in Asian Masters and  World Masters Athletic Championships, winning more medals even beyond the age of 70. 

Her incredible story began in the small barangay of Marga, Tubod town in distant Surigao del Norte, where she was born on 9 April 1952, to parents Pedro Lavandia Sr. and Eustaquia Bacasnot. Erlinda was the eldest of 8 children ((four girls and four boys) and was destined to be the only athlete in the family.

Her early years were spent in Surigao, where she studied at Tubod Elementary School and proceeded to the Surigao Del Norte National High School.  A sporty kid, she was into everything, from volleyball to running, but it was baseball that became her first love, where she excelled as a catcher. Seeing her far-reaching throws, her first coach Lotheo Seftimo, a college PE teacher, lured her back to athletics—but this time, to the field events of javelin throw, discus throw, hammer throw and shot put.

In 1972, while in her senior year in high school, she was spotted by then Surigao del Norte Gov. Jose C. Sering, and president of the Philippine Amateur Track and Field Association (PATAFA). The sports executive had seen her performances at the Northern Mindanao Meet in Cagayan de Oro City, Misamis Oriental where she won the javelin Gold, along with her Palarong Pambansa triumph in Bacolod City, Negros Occidental, and was duly impressed. He recruited her for the national team pool and she started her intensive training under Sering’s watchful supervision.

In 1975, the Philippines was invited to join Singapore’s “Festival of Sports”, Pesta Sukan, and it sent a basketball team and a small contingent of athletes including Lavandia. In her first international meet, she won the Gold in javelin. From then on, there was not stopping the hefty, 5’4” thrower.

But Lavandia’s test would come two years later at the very first 1977 Southeast Asian Games at the Merdeka Stadium, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. It was the inaugural appearance of the Philippines in the multi-sports subregional meet, an off-shoot of the Southeast Asian Peninsular Games that had its final staging in 1975.  The unheralded Lavandia was chosen as one of the pioneer athletes to debut in the games, and she came through with a milestone win—winning the Gold with a throw of 45.22 m., more that 3 meters away from the Singaporean Silver medalist Chua Kim Tee, who did 41.98 m. In so doing, Lavandia established a new Games Record in Javelin Throw, a feat she would repeat in the next two SEA Games.

By 1979, Lavandia had joined the Gintong Alay project sports development and training project that would further hone her athletic skills. She not only defended her javelin title in Jakarta in 1979 with an improved 45. 78 m. throw, and in Manila in 1981, with a 46.20 m. effort, but she broke her own championship records in the process.

Her arch-rival Norsham Yoon of Malaysia would snap her golden streak at the 1983 Singapore SEA Games but Lavandia would reclaim the title in 1985 Thailand SEA Games with a personal best of 47.96 m., another games record. In her 9 years of continuous SEA Games participation,  she always medalled; her last 4 games (1987 Jakarta, 1989 Kuala Lumpur, 1991 Manila, 1993 Singapore) earned her 2 more Silvers and 2 Bronzes.

For many athletes, retirement from the playing field comes at 40. But Lavandia was not done competing yet, for in 1994, at the age 42, she began joining the Asian Masters on a regular basis, collecting a total of 12 Gold Medals by 2016---and she is not stopping. Some of her spectacular wins in the Asian Masters was in 2012, with her record-breaking victory in the javelin event for women 60-64 years old. Lavandia’s new mark was at 32.26 m., accomplished in her final throw. She smashed the old record of 27.36 m. set by Japan’s Kato Atsuko in Thailand in 2009. With that’s, she became the owner of all javelin throw records in the 40 (set in Jakarta, 1994), 45 (Okinawa, 1998), 50 (Dalian, China 2002), and 55 year-old category (Kuala Lumpur, 2010).

In the 2013 World Masters Athletic Championship, Lavandia also made news with her golden win,  hurling the javelin to a distance of  39.83 m. At the 23rd World Masters Athletics Championships in Malaga, Spain, she placed third in the women’s 65-69 javelin throw, doing 27.95 m. on her first attempt.

Her best year was in 2019 at the  Southeast Asia Athletic Championship held in Singapore in May, when the 67-year-old won 4 Golds in different throwing events: javelin, discus, shotput and hammer throw. Her winning momentum continued in 2022 at the Kuala Lumpur International Masters Athletics Championships, where brought home three medals -- 2 Golds (javelin throw and discus throw) and 1 Silver (shot put) .

Her latest feat was at the 22nd Asia Masters Athletics Championships held on November 8-12, 2024 at New Clark City stadium. Before a home crowd Lavandia, now 72, won Golds in the javelin and hammer throw,  plus a Silver in the discus.

Lavandia belongs to an elite field of rare, competitive, more mature athletes—the likes of Felicisimo Ampon, Robert Jaworksi, Elma Muros, Efren Bata Reyes, and even Manny Pacquiao—who do not consider age as a barrier. Our greatest javelin thrower however, believes also in a winning formula she calls her 3Ds -- dedication, determination and discipline, which she has been following all these years to stay in winning form.

The 73 year old legend is also grateful for the sports that has opened opportunities for her to make her dreams take flight and fulfill her role as the eldest in the family. Since the start of her sporting career, she has been doling out financial aid, helping out with family expenses, and sending her siblings to school. Most of all, she believes in giving back to the country she loves. In between competitions, Lavandia  served in the police force, rising to become a Police Chief Inspector until her retirement in 2008. "I always do my best in every competition”, she says, “ Every victory is special for me because I know that I'm doing it for my country.”

SOURCES:

Photos: Erlinda Lavandia FB Page

Athletics at the 1977 SEA Games, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Athletics_at_the_1977_SEA_Games

Erlinda Lavandia Athletic Records: https://athleticspodium.com/athlete/27950/erlinda-lavandia

 “Erlinda Lavandia shares how she started playing Javelin throw”|Magandang Buhay”, ABS-CBN youtube channel, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xco-dgsNPD0&t=170s

“PH javelin queen Lavandia still in top form”, by Jean Malanum, January 14, 2023,

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1192734

55. SALOMA BROTHERS: The Slugging Brothers of the Boxing Ring

On August 9, 1970, three boxers debuted together at the Araneta Coliseum and created a buzz with their awesome performances in the ring. But more amazing was the fact that the three were real-life brothers: Eduardo (Eddie), Jose Maria (Joe), Ricardo (Colly) Zanadrin Coloma, collectively known as the Saloma Brothers.

The Saloma Brothers came from a large family of 10 children from Iloilo City. Bantamweight Eddie, the eldest of 7 brothers explained the reason for their shared fraternal interest in pugilism: “Boxing is our first love,” he says, “It’s in the family’s blood. I have an uncle who is in the US Navy who won trophies as an amateur in the United States. If my younger brothers who are still in their knee pants grow up, they too, will become boxers.”

 24 years old in 1970, he remembers being only 16 when he started boxing professionally in Iloilo, Davao, and Cotabato. He never stopped schooling even while he boxed, and became a bookkeeper in Iloilo after finishing his Commerce degree. A southpaw,  he has already fought 30 times and lost twice and drew one. He won most of his fights by T.K.O. and his last 3 fights in Manila (before he fought in the recent bout) were won by T.K.O.

However, in his Araneta Coliseum outing against the sly Tom Rico, another toprated bantamweight contender,  lost in a questionable decision that was roundly booed by the crowd. But Eddie took it all in stride simply saying that boxing should not be fought the way Tom Rico did, in which he kept shoving Eddie with against the ropes, putting him  (Eddie) at a disadvantage. One aficionado even remarked that the next time Eddie fights Tom Rico he would “win without a fuss.”

Younger brother, Joe, 20, an Electrical Engineering student at the Western Visayas College of Science and Technology and University of San Agustin, was a featherweight and was known for his powerful “atomic punch,” which gave him a record of 28 wins, 1 loss, at his peak.

Hoping to make a name in bigtime boxing, he was matched against Fil del Mundo, a rated featherweight from Laguna, and a favorite to win the bout. True enough, he dealt Joe telling blows that caused his brow to bleed profusely. The two exchanged blows amid the pandemonium in the stadium, each boxer neither giving nor asking for any quarter. Then it happened. Barely 2 minutes before the round ended, Fil del Mundo, for all his ruggedness and ring know-how, hit the deck in the twinkling of an eye, caused by flashy Joe’s killer “atomic punch,”

In his Araneta Coliseum duel with the more experienced Arturo Eracho, Joe sustained another injury that threatened his bid. But Joe came back from the 5^th round to the last to beat Eracho, dealing him with series of “very clean punches”,  as described by Manila Times day editor, O.O. Sta. Romana. The more gleaming and potent  ”clean punches” that the newsman spoke of turned the face of Eracho into a bloody mess, and Joe won the bloody fight by unanimous decision.

Meanwhile, Colly (Ricardo) is a high school graduate and has had 22 fights in his credit prior to his last one at the Araneta Coliseum in which he knocked out Jun Martin in a dramatic fashion on the fourth round. He never lost in any fight and last February won the amateur flyweight championship of the Philippines “Class C”. He turned pro at the age of 16. Ambition: to be a world champ and a lawyer.

The young boxers are managed by Mamerto Besa, businessman and sports promoter, whose craving desire is to produce a world champion from among his wards “before I retire.” Some of his successful boxers which he developed were Bert Somodio, former lightweight king of the Philippines, Randolf Masala and Tiny Palacio,

Besa says he has every reason to look forward to the day when the Saloma brothers would grab a world title. “First,” he says, “they are dedicated boxers—they take interest in their profession with whole heart; second, they are well-discipline for they behave properly and don’t indulge in any vices; and third, they are efficiently trained and managed. I, myself devote my full attention to their welfare…”

Such a set of high standards that characterize the pugilistic ventures of the Saloma Brothers would therefore make one expect that their best is yet to come. Through the 70s, the Salomas were names to be reckoned with, fighting in Guam, Korea, and the U.S. Joe had his last bout in 1973, while Eddie and Colly continued their international quests until 1977.

 (This article was condensed from P.A. Zapanta’s “Up and Coming: Slugging Salomas”, published in The Sunday Times Magazine, Pictures by Dominador Suba. 11 October 1970, p. 35-37.

WHERE ARE THE SALOMA BROTHERS NOW?

A surprise e-mail to this writer was received from Joe Saloma in 18 May 2017 who managed to read a short article I have written  about the slugging brothers for the popular website, FilipiKnow, included in my list of “Sports Legends Who Proved Filipinos Are Kickass Athletes.”

In it, he wrote: “It's an honor to be part of the FilipiKnow Greatest Filipino Athletes. It's been over four decades when we were in the peak of our boxing career. Thank you for believing in us. God is so good for giving us a wonderful life after ending our boxing career in the Philippines.  Because of our hard work and determination, we were blessed with good life, family, and successful careers.”

Joe provided updates about himself and his acclaimed brothers,  Eddie and Colly who are now U.S.-based. while he lives in Guam.

Joe is currently a resident of Agana, Guam.  He retired from the U.S. military with over 22 years of active service and presently working with the Guam Department of Corrections.

Eddie studied at NW Institute of Acupuncture & Oriental Medicine. He is now a Licensed Acupuncturist and Physical Therapist at the Oriental Acupuncture & Therapy Clinic, Inc., practicing in El Paso, Texas,

Colly is a resident of Virginia and also retired from the U.S. military with over 20 years of active service.

CREDITS:

MANY THANKS to Mr. Joe Saloma for the e-mail and the updated info about him and his brothers.

Photos by Mr. Domonador Suba, STM

FB pages of Jose Marie Saloma, Eduardo Saloma and Colly Saloma.

54. Olympic Weightlifter PEDRO LANDERO, Asia's Senior Strongman (1950-1956)

At the Weightlifting finals in the bantamweight division at the 1952 Helsinki Olympics, a stocky Filipino—balding, short in stature, almost 39 years old, considered  rather advanced in age for the sports—stunned the audience when he placed 6^th overall after all his lifts were totaled. PEDRO LANDERO, born on 19 Oct. 1913, was the oldest among the competitors who placed in the Top 12, most of whom were just in their 20s and early 30s. So to barge into the Top 6 was no mean feat, but a  small victory in itself, for in so doing,  he also set a new bantamweight record lift  that would endure for years.

There is scant information about Landero’s beginnings but we do know he was trained under Prof. Candido Bartolome, considered the father of Physical Education of the Philippines. The American-schooled professor established the Department of Physical Education at the University of the Philippines and acted as head of the country’s delegation to the Olympics. He taught Landero and classmates Reynaldo Perez, Ruperto Villamor, Jose Chen and Esmeraldo Eco how to do gymnastic stunts for events and socials. They once entertained 700 guests at a rooftop garden party hosted by the  U.P. President Bienvenido Gonzales on 24 June 1939, which received much praises.

Weightlifting was not Landero’s first sport---it was wrestling. He joined the Ben Gallegos Club (BGC), which was a gym club that trained its members and fielded them to various competitions—from weightlifting, physical culture contests, to wrestling. He participated in  wrestling tournaments  and began winning most matches.

At the 1948 National Wrestling Championship, he represented his club and won the Bantamweight division title, by decisioning AFPs’ Lt. J. Carreon after 15 minutes of strenuous wrestling. The next year, at the 1949 Wrestling Championship, he would retain that title by default—when his opponent did not show up. That’s when he realized perhaps, that wrestling was a sport that held little to Filipinos. Fewer contestants signed up for the tournament this year and that the same old names—Landero, Luna, Bernabe and Florendo—keep dominating the events, due to the absence of competition.

 In 1950, Landero made a major career shift and decided to join the 1950 National Weightlifting Championships—he had been lifting heavy weights at Javier Brothers Gym for some time now,  as part of his wrestling training, so it wouldn’t hurt if he tried another sport that called for a show of lifting strength. On April 16, he joined 32 lifters from schools and clubs at the Rizal Memorial Coliseum to test how far he could go in this new endeavor.

With a body weight of 136 pounds, he qualified for the Lightweight Division, ten went on to surprise himself with a 3^rd place finish, lifting a combined total (press, snatch, jerk) of 600 lbs. The unattached lifter, Luis Dumag won the Gold with his 625 lbs. effort, followed by Gervacio Canlas of BGC with a 620 lbs. lift.

Thus began an unexpected journey to the sport of weightlifting. He made so muchprogress that in a year, he was handpicked, along with Rodrigo del Rosario, to compete in the inaugural multi-sports continental games--the 1^st Asian Games in New Delhi, India. His lucky streak continued as he bagged his first international weightlifting medal—a Bronze—in the bantamweight class (56 kg.) . Gold and Silver went to Mahmoud Namjoo and Ali Mirzaei, both Iranians, whom he would meet again in the premiere sporting event of all—the 1952 Helsinki Olympics.

 In Finland, Landero had to yield the spotlight to the biggest star of the Philippine weightlifting stage, Rodrigo del Rosario, who held multiple current national records.  There, at the Messuhalli  Exhibition Hall, del Rosario shone his brightest, placing fourth  in the featherweight class, his best Olympic finish, setting a world record in the military press portion, in the process.  

Lost in the hoopla of del Rosario’s triumph was the remarkable 6^th place finish of 39 year-old bantamweight Landero in a field of 19 starters,  one of only 2 senior lifters who completed their lifts (2 lifters from Japan and Romania dropped out). The other was Germany’s Josef Schuster, age 46, but he ended a distant 14^th. Gold went to Russian Ivan Udodov (age 28), while Iran’s Namjoo (age 34)  and Mirzaei (age 23) claimed Silver and Bronze.

Though Del Rosario got the lion’s share of sports fans’ attention, Landero’s top 6 finish was, to him, a cherished one. He vowed to train harder, as has already set his sight on the next Olympics, in Melbourne. The 2^nd Asian Games hosted by Manila in 1954 was another chance to chase weightlifting honors, but it was Rodolfo Caparas who battled it out at the bantamweight finals and won a prized Silver. Landero opted to wait for the 1955 National Weightlifting Championships where he moved up to the featherweight class—and clinched the title, along with lightweight Kuan Sun, middleweight Higinio Villar, and middle-heavyweight Manuel Tan.

That win became Landero’s passport to the 1956 Melbourne Olympics, the first to be held outside Europe. It is also known for the multi-nation boycotts that marred the Games. But yesteryear’s sports fans remember it for early exit of the now 43 year old Landero who was expected to do well. He opted to start his Press lift at 95 kgs. , but failed not once, but thrice. Thus, Landero could no longer proceed and bowed out of contention. He was declared retired. From 6^th place in Helsinki, he finished last in 16^th place. American Charles Vinci topped the bantamweight division that year. Landero’s   ignominous defeat led to his decision to retire permanently from weightlifting.

After the Olympics, not much was heard about his life, his family, and even his eventual passing. Landero seemed to have gone from a place of renown  to complete obscurity. But certainly, what will not pass into oblivion is Pedro Landero’s  weightlifting legacy, achieved in his maturity and reaching its peak in his seniority, proving to all that in the pursuit of excellence, age is no barrier.

SOURCES:

“U. P. President and Mrs. Gonzalez To Entertain for Faculty “, The Tribune, 22 Jun. 1939, p. 5

“1948 Wrestling Championship”, The Filipino Athlete,, May 1948, p. 11

“1949 Wrestling Championship”, The Filipino Athlete, June 1949, p. 16

“Winners of the 1955 National Weightlifting Championship”, PROGRESS 1955

1951 Asian Games, Wikipedia

1952 Helsinki Oympic Games, Wikipedia

1956 Melbourne Olympic Games, Wikipedia

Photo: Olympedia, Pedro Landero, https://www.olympedia.org/athletes/56489

Udodov, Namjoo,

53. Luger RAYMOND L. OCAMPO JR. and His Long Journey to the 1988 Calgary Winter Olympics

When a topnotch Fil-American athlete and lawyer was asked in one job interview which he would prioritize—to handle a major corporate client or to compete in the Olympics, he chose the latter—and got hired anyway. Such is the commitment of RAYMOND L OCAMPO  Jr. to his chosen discipline—luge—a winter sport that is hardly familiar in the U.S., much less in the Philippines where it is virtually unkniwn. But Ocampo did not just want to join the Winter Olympics; he wanted to compete for the Philippines.

Sixteen years have elapsed since the Philippines was represented in a Winter Olympics;  the first time was in the 1972 Sapporo games when cousins Ben Nanasca and Juan Cipriano competed in alpine skiing. The two lads were adopted and lived in Andorra, and took to skiing in the Pyrenees. They became so proficient that the Swiss government recruited them for an alpine skiing group, which paved the way for their Olympic stint under the Philippine flag.

Ocampo’s journey was unlike our pioneer Olympians who had a large support group in New Zealand and the Philippines. Born in Lubao, Pampanga on 10 Feb. 1953, he and his family migrated to Canada when he was 11. The young Ocampo channeled his energies into sports of all kinds—as a high-schooler, he became a member of his school’s basketball team that won the state championship. Even as a political science student at UCLA and later, as a law student,  he was running marathons in between poring over legal tomes.

After passing the bar, Ocampo went into private practice and continued with his love of sports. In 1986, the year he got employed by Oracle Corp., he became fascinated with luge—a fast race on artificial ice tracks using racing sleds that could be maneuvered to reach over 140 kilometer per hour.

What was amazing was that Ocampo learned the sports from scratch. He would watch old video tapes of past winter Olympics editions, but when he reviewed the Sarajevo Olympics of 1984, he was surprised to learn that tropical Puerto Rico was represented by a skier named George Tucker. He seriously began entertaining the thought of representing the country of his birth.

First, Ocampo began investing in the sport, spending as much as $20,000 alone for trips and equipment. He started intensive dry-land training on a sled with wheels and joining races. His first big one was at the Empire State Games at Lake Placid in 1986, finishing a creditable 7^th in his over-30 age group. One of those he defeated was Puerto Rican George Tucker! The experience buoyed his confidence and thus began his  personal mission to ski for the Philippines.

But first, he needed the permission of the Philippine Olympic Committee in Manila via the Philippine Consulate in San Francisco. It took awhile to convince sports officials that his application was valid: the International Olympic Committee allows an athlete to represent the country of his birth so long as he has not competed in the same sport  for another country. Besides, as a dual Filipino-American citizen, he was eligible to don the Philippine tri-color.

The national committee however, required him to hold a Philippine passport first—and thus began a series of frustrating passport issues that imperiled his Olympic dream. ''Luging is hard enough,'' he realized, but ''the paper trail was the hardest part.'' A personnel from the consulate volunteered to take his case, and his cache of supporting documents to Manila to discuss his request with the Olympic committee.

But the official’s timing was bad; Corazon Aquino had just ousted Marcos, and a new government was being put in place. It did not help that the official had strong ties with the Marcos administration, so upon landing in Manila, he was withheld, and his papers were confiscated, including Ocampo’s pertinent documents. The disappointed Olympic hopeful had to start all over.

Ocampo personally sent a letter to Vice President Salvador H. Laurel. He sent another letter to Sec. Gen. Francisco Almeda—who had denied his first request. The United States Luge Federation even sent a letter of recommendation to convince the Olympic committee. When still a deluge of letters and telex messages from Ocampo were left unanswered, the weary athlete phoned Almeda directly, finally convincing him how serious he was. It turned out that Pres. Aquino had learned of his plight, so she pressed the sports official to allow him to compete. With that final go-signal, Ocampo gave a big sigh of relief as he mused:  ''It was an exhausting process…more exhausting than lugeing.''

When the 15^th Winter Olympics unfolded in Calgary, Alberta, Canada on 13 February 1988, the triumphant Ocampo marched into the McMahon Stadium, proudly  holding the Philippine flag up high. Accompanied by his American coach, he was the lone Filipino among the thousands of international athletes who congregated in Calgary that year to vie for medals in the premiere winter sport games of the world. He was a sort of a novelty athlete coming from a non-winter country, and Ocampo got all the close-ups  in the opening ceremony at McMahon Stadium in Calgary.

Never has there been an athlete who have worked and prepared as hard as Raymond L. Ocampo Jr.—even before the Games had started. ''A medal is not something I'm shooting for,'' the Filipino winter Olympian said. ''But whether I win one or not, it would be nice to bring a focus to the Philippines for something other than the troubles they have been having. That's just the way I feel.''

Ocampo finished in 35^th place, in a field of 36 starters. Finishing ahead of him in 34^th place was George Tucker—yes, the same Puerto Rican luger he beat in 1986, and  a returning  Olympian. He beat out last placer Albertu Carpentier Altin of Netherland Antilles. The Washington Post noted that Ocampo’s next-to-last finish was still a victory for the Philippines.

(POSTSCRIPT:  In 2010, Raymond served as an honorary captain of the U.S. Olympic Luge Team that competed in Vancouver, Canada. After retiring from Oracle Corporation in 2015,  Ocampo became a private investor and served on the boards of companies and nonprofit organizations, like the Asian Pacific Fund, a foundation that he chaired from 2006-2010. Ocampo is the principal founder of the Filipino Bar Association of Northern California (FBANC) and  the President/CEO of Samurai Surfer LLC, a private investment company . His philanthropic work includes annual scholarships and internships he has provided to FBANC since 2000 and National Filipino Lawyers Association (NFALA) Foundation since 2020.)

 SOURCES:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Raymond_Ocampo

Raymond L. Ocampo Jr. , https://www.bloomberg.com/research/stocks/private/person.asp?personId=667210&privcapId=338154

“NEXT-TO-LAST FINISH A VICTORY”, The Washington Post, 16 February 1988.

OLYMPIC PROFILE: RAYMOND OCAMPO; One-Man Luge Team With Tale of 2 Flags, By MICHAEL JANOFSKY, Nov. 29, 1987, https://www.nytimes.com/1987/11/29/sports/olympic-profile-raymond-ocampo-one-man-luge-team-with-tale-of-2-flags.html

Pictures: https://www.h5.com/ray-ocampo-jr/, New York Times, Nov. 29, 1987

Screen Grabs:, 1988 Calgary Winter Olympics Opening Ceremony, youtube

52. Long Jumper VISITACIÓN BADANA, 1ST Philippine Gold Medalist, 1958 Tokyo Asiad

The honor of winning the first Gold Medal for the Philippines in the 1958 Asian Games in Tokyo, Japan was the country’s top female jumper VISITACIÓN “Vessie” BADANA- RIBAGORDA, whose performance inspired the Philippine team to finish in 2^nd place overall, behind powerhouse Japan.

Born on 2 July 1937 to Pacifico and Ceferina Badana in the small barrio of Cogon Pardo, Cebu, Vessie was an athletic young girl who competed in inter-school meets in the province. She continued with these competitions in her teen years, where she got even better, prompting Cebu Institute of Technology (CIT) to offer her an athletic scholarship.

At that time in the 50s, CIT trained- female athletes were considered the best in the country, like Asia’s sprint queen Inocencia Solis, Asian games sprint/hurdler medalist Francisca Sanopal, Manolita Cinco and javelin thrower Vivencia Sabido. Initially, Badana was doing sprints and low hurdles, but her CIT coach, Dean Vicente Tigas had other ideas when they noticed her explosive starts, and how long her vertical leaps were, when she ran. Thus,  the 5’3”, 106 lb. athlete was trained to do running Broad Jump (now called Long Jump), which she found to her liking.

Her first major athletic break was in 1954, when, at 17, Badana was named to the national team to compete in the Broad Jump event of the 3rd Asian Games in Manila. The top Filipina jumper then was the unstoppable Inocencia Celis, but the best in the region were the Japanese. Sure enough, Yoshie Takahashi secured the Gold (5.68m), followed by teammates Atsuko Nambu (5.64m), and Mikiko Tazaki (5.36m) for a dominant 1-2-3 finish. Solis set a new Philippine record of  5.18 m. (17 ft. 1 and 1/8 in.) but that was good only for fourth place. Badana and promising jumper Salome Banate finished at the tail end of the broad jump competition.

The calibre of competition spurred Badana to do even better in the next year, and sure enough, at the next Intercollegiate Athletic Championship, she placed first in the Broad Jump, breaching the 17 ft, mark with a leap of 17 ft., 1 inch., just 1/8” shy off the national record. That feat was included in the Best Philippine Track and Field Performance for the 1955-1956 Season.

In 1957, Badana made her appearance in 3 major meets. She started the year in Baguio when she joined 4th PRISAA Meet in February. Badana convincingly won the Broad Jump with amazing 17 ft. 4 ¾ ins. Her region, Central Visayas captured the overall championship crown that year.

Later in  March, at  the 1957 National Track & Field in May, she won the Running Broad Jump at 17 ft. 3/8 inch. To prove how versatile she was, Badana also reached the finals of the High Jump, where she placed 4^th with a leap of 4 ft. 9 inches. Her CIT teammate, Lolita Lagrosas won Gold with  her 4 feet 11 7/8 inch effort. But it was in that year’s National Intercollegiate/Intersecondary and Women’s Track & Field Championships where she made headlines. She established a new Philippine record of 17 ft. 8 7/8 ins (5.387 m), surpassing Solis’s record that she set in the 1954 Manila Asiad. Solis was a distant 2^nd at 16 ft. 4 inches.

Badana’s place in the Philippine Team to the 1958 Asian Games was assured. The Games opened on 24 May and were played until June 1, 1958. Badana set the tempo for the Philippines when she competed for the Long Jump. The defending champion from Japan, Yoshie Takahashi who had won the past Gold with a jump of 5.68 m. was conspicuously absent. Only her Bronze medalist, Mikiko Tazaki, was a repeat delegate from Japan.

Mustering her courage and channeling all her power and energy, Badana jumped her best, and according to Japanese press reports, the Filipina “executed an astounding best broad jump to win the first Gold Medal in Track and Field for the Philippines”.  In fact, Badana accomplished her Personal Best and a new Philippine record of 5.64 m. or 18 ft. 6.05  inches)  Silver went to Tazaki (5.49 m.), an improvement from her Bronze finish in 1954, and the Bronze to Taipei’s Huang Soon-sang (5.32 m). It was said that the Japanese Sports Press had been “truly charmed” by her “refreshing friendliness.”

The Philippine delegation  went agog over the first Gold Medal Badana claimed for the country—and it took a woman to accomplish the feat. Inspired by her win, the Athletic Team---which went gold-less in Manila—won 2 more Golds, 4 Silvers, 4 Bronzes. Of the 49 medals brought home, Athletics contributed 11, thus redeeming their sorry performance in the last games. The Tokyo Asiad has been the most fruitful for the Philippines in terms of the total number of medals garnered.

Badana’s next stop was no less than the 1960 Olympics in Rome. Thirty international female athletes vied for the 12 Long Jump finalist spots. In the trials, Badana was the 16^th athlete to take her 3 jumps---she leaped to 5.38 m. on her 1^st attempt, 5.59 m. on her 2^nd attempt, while her 3^rd jump was fouled. When all the scores had been tallied, Badana’s 5.59 m.  jump (her 2^nd personal best), put her in 24^th position among the 30 preliminary finishers. She failed to advance, thus ending her one and only Olympic journey.

In her later years, Visitacion Badana married Porferio P. Ribagorda, a fellow athlete of note, who was employed at the Cebu Institute of Technology-University. They had 5 children: Ruth (now Abarquez), Evelyn (Ybas), Brenda (Abarquez) Ann (Bohol) and Gilbert Ribagorda.  Vessie also worked there in the school as the University Registrar until her passing on 6 Dec. 1993, at the age of 56.

Badana’s 5.64 m. National Record would endure for over a decade as she paved the way for a new generation of women long jumpers to follow in the sport: Lydia Rosalada Silva-Netto  who broke her record with a leap of 5.70 m. ( reset to 5.71 m. in 1970 by her contemporary Lolita Lagrosas), Elma Muros-Posadas, and the spectacular  Marestella Torres-Sunang, the current record holder at 6.72 m. achieved at the Kazakhstan Open, Almaty, Kazakhstan on 4 July 2016.

SOURCES:

Special thanks to Ma'am Gwen Bohol, granddaughter of Visitacion Badana-Ribagorda, for furnishing additional information to this article.

Best Philippine Track & Field Performance 1955-56 Season, The Filipino Athlete, 1956

1957 National Track & Field Championship, National Intercollegiate-Intersecondary & Womn’s Track and Field Championships. The Filipino Athlete, May 1957 issue, p.7

Central Visayas Wins 4^th PRISAA Meet, The Filipino Athlete, June 1957 issue, p. 7

The 1958 National Intercollegiate Track & Field Championships, The Filipino Athlete, 1958

 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Athletics_at_the_1958_Asian_Games

Olympiad Long Jump Results: https://www.olympedia.org/results/60024

Asian Games Manila Philippines 1954, https://atfs.org/wp-content/uploads/Asian-Games-1954-Manila.pdf