43. PH Olympian HEDY GARCIA: The Teenage Girl Who Swam Across the Laguna Lake

The day after Christmas in 1965, a long-distance swimming competition was organized by Dr. Clodualdo Manas, manager of the Nonino Swimming Club of Laguna, involving crossing the Laguna Lake. From the starting point of barrio Pipindan,  Binangonan, to the coastline of barrio Cuyab in San Pedro Laguna, the total distance was about 18 kilometers.

Dubbed as Swimathon 1965, the local challenge was reminiscent of the English Channel swim contest where athletes swam across the Channel unaided by an escort. The event attracted 22 participants—from former Olympians to a 10-year-old boy swimmer. The race started on the Pipindan shore at 7:30 a.m. on a clear Dec.26 morning, after the water temperature was checked.

By 12:30 p.m. 16 of the original 22 starters had given up, including 10 year old Noli Manas, fished out from the water by a motorboat. The remaining swimmers plodded on, stroke after stroke.

First to make it to the finish line after five hours and five minutes was high school student Loreto Garcia, a UAAP champion swimmer from Far Eastern University, with a time of 5 hours, 5.5 minutes . But what caught the crowd’s attention was the second placer—15-year-old high school girl,  Hedvig “Hedy” Garcia, who timed in at 5 hours, 40 minutes and 8 seconds.

So impressive was her time that Hedy trounced two former male Olympians: Bana Sailani, who failed to finish, and the Tokyo Olympian Rolando Landrito of the Philippine Air Force (6:17.0 hrs.). She was also way ahead of 31 year old long distance swimmer Ricardo Cuenca (5:43.2 hrs.) who would set an endurance record of 47 hrs. swimming from Nasugbu to Manila Bay in 1969.

Hedy. who stands only 5 feet 2.5 inches tall, was an amateur swimmer from Far Eastern University. She was born on 8 Feb. 1950 in Pakil, to a sports-loving family. Her fantastic Laguna feat was just part of her intensive training that led her to improve her times---and a slot in the Philippine swimming team. Less than a year later, she was sent to the 1966 Asian Games from Bangkok, and won a team Silver, by placing second in the 4 x 100 m. Medley relay swim team that included Rosalina Abreu, Helen Elliott, and Gertrudes Lozada.

By the time the Olympic year came along, Hedy was the holder of 8 Philippine bests in 100 m., 200 m. backstroke, breaststroke, and butterfly records, The breaststroke and the individual medley became her specialties.  

She went on to qualify for a place in the Philippine Olympic swimming team--the youngest member at 18-- that competed in the 1968 Mexico Olympics. The talented swimmer swam in four events: 100 m. free (7th in her heat), 200 m. breaststroke (4th), and both the 200 m. (3rd)  and 400 m. individual medley (7th).

Hedy made it as well to her 2^nd Asian Games, and returned to Bangkok, Thailand in 1970 to claim a team Bronze Medal in the 4 x 100 m. Medley relay event, along with Luz Arzaga, Susan Papa, and Luz Laciste.

 After retiring from competitive swimming, Hedy turned to coaching, mentoring the University of the Philippines Women’s Varsity Swimming Team from 1978-1984. She continues to live in her hometown of Pakil, Laguna.

SOURCES:

Benjamin Afuang, Photos by Ben Santos, “The Long Swim Across Laguna Lake”, The Sunday Times Magazine, 9 January 1966 issue, 24-27.

Olympedia, https://www.olympedia.org/lists/114/manual?page=6

Philippines at the 1966 Asian Games, Wikimedia.com

Philippines at the 1970 Asian Games, Wikimedia.com

42. Marked for Gold: ALBERT VON EINSIEDEL: Olympic Marksman, Asian Games Medalist

One of the top marksmen of the country from the late 1930s to the 1950s was the sharp-shooting ALBERT  VON EINSIEDEL who had the distinction of competing for the Philippines in  shooting sports at both the world Olympics and the continental Asian Games.

 Born on 14 May 1917 to German Albert H. von Einsiedel and Filipina Lucia Salamanca, the young Albert developed an early interest in shooting, which he mastered as a student of the University of the Philippines. In 1936, U.P. shooting standout, Martin Gison, became the first and lone representative of the country in shooting at the 1936 Berlin Olympics, where he nearly medalled, placing 4^th in the small-bore rifle event.

 This spurred more Physical Education students to sign up for the school’s shooting program. So, while  Einsiedel was learning folk dancing steps, he was also becoming adept in both rifle and pistol shooting where he trained religiously at the U.P. range,  until he became a deadeye in both disciplines.

After 1936,  Einsiedel showed that he, too, was capable of becoming a world-class shooter.  The U.P. Shooting Team then held regular competitions against members of the National Rifle and Pistol Association of the Philippines, which counts ace shooters from the military, as well as sports hunters and shooting hobbysts. In one such meet on 31 Oct. 1937, Einsidiel placed 4^th among the state shooters in the Rifle .22 caliber, helping U.P. win over the N.R,P.A, shooters. In the Pistol .22 caliber, he placed 3^rd , resulting in a tie with the more seasoned N.R.P.A. team.

 The next year, on the 27^th of February, the versatile all-around U.P. athlete earned a pistol championship title, by winning the Philippine Exposition .22 caliber pistol championship, sponsored by the N.R.P.A. held at the Pureza shooting grounds, with a score of 493 x 600. Highly-regarded Felix Cortes shot a score of 484 x 600 to garner second place, nosing out Ramon Villamor, who took third with 483 x 600. The course fired was 60 shots at 80 meters on the 50 meter target.

 But as every country, including the Philippine Commonwealth, was gearing up for the 1940 Olympics, the war intervened, cancelling not only the games scheduled in Japan, but also the 1944 edition in London. When the war ended, there was a slow return to normalcy, as rebuilding began. The government resumed its operations, the economy was restarted,  and schools reopened. Sports training went back into full swing and our nation’s athletes began to look forward to competing at the 1948 London Olympics.

The 1948 National Shooting Championships, held in February and March, were the first to be held since the outbreak of the war, and served as try-outs for the Olympics. Ten individual matches were held to determine the members of the shooting team. Einsiedel had already installed himself as one of the favorites of the meet, and he lived up to expectations.

 In the first event, Einsiedel had no trouble in beating a large field of free pistol experts by scoring a creditable 521 out of a possible 600 points. In Event no. 2, Einsiedel snuck into the winners’ circle, placing third in the 3-Position small-bore rifle with a score of 508, behind winner Higinio Pacaña, and ahead of 4^th placer Gison. Next, he landed 5^th in the small bore rifle 60 Shots Prone at 50 m., and 7^th in the 45 cal. National Match Course. In the Center Fire National Match Course, he placed 5^th, but came back in the next 2 events placing 1st in both the Olympic Free Rifle (3 positions) and the Navy Cup Match -20 Shots Military offhand.

Only 3 shooters would end up being part of the Philippine Olympic shooting team: Martin Gison ( 25 m. pistol, 50 m. pistol); Cesar Jayme (50 m. rifle), and Albert von Einsiedel (50 m. pistol, 50 m. rifle). Einsiedel was chosen to captain the lean, but mean shooting team in London.

In the Free Pistol, 50 metres event, Einsiedel ended up in 26^th place among 50 shooters, trailing Martin Gison who was ranked 25^th. The two were the highest placed Asians, with the Lebanese entry, Khalil Hilmi, in last place. The winners were  Edwin Vasquez (Gold, Peru),  Rudolf Snyder (Silver, Switzerland) and Torsten Ullman (Bronze, Sweden).            

 Einsiedel fared better in the Small-Bore Rifle, Prone, 50 m., placing 22^nd ,with a score of 591, among 71 athletes. His teammate Cesar Jayme also did very well, landing among the top 20 finishers, in 17^th place with 593 points. Gison could only pace 43^rd, with 585 points. Americans went 1-2 with Arthur Edwin Cook and Walter Tomsen winning Gold and Silver with identical 599 points, new world records.  Jonas Jonsson of Sweden won the Bronze with 597 score.

After the Olympics Einsiedel finished his university schooling and became a Physical Education instructor at the American School (the future International School) in Manila. He was still active in shooting until that time, and when Manila was chosen as the site of the 2nd Asian Games in May 1954, an issue arose as to the amateur status of active athletes employed as teachers. As it turned out, it was clarified that teachers were not considered pros at all. The ruling was announced rather late, leaving  Einsiedel only 4 months to train for the Asian Games.

 His first event was the Free Pistol, where he lost by a whisker to  Japanese Choji Hosaka, settling for the Silver Medal. But it was a different story in the 50 m. Rifle Prone, which he topped—followed by team mates Cesar Jayme and Martin Gison for an all-Filipino sweep of the shooting event. The Philippines amassed 4 Golds, 4 Silvers and 4 Bronzes from the Manila Asiad, the best-performing country in shooting sports.

Albert von Einsiedel was married to the former Luz Alabastro with whom he had 2 sons, Nathaniel and Albert Jr., He passed away in August 1999 at age 82.

SOURCES:

Maj. Carlos Quirino, 1948 National Shooting Championships, The Filipino Athlete, Vol. IX, No. 3, may 1948, p. 8-12.

 “Einsiedel Captures Pistol Championship”, The Tribune, 1 Mar. 1938, p. 10

 “U. P. Rifle Shots Win Over N.R.P.A”, The Tribune, 3 Nov. 1937. P. 9

 London 1948 Shooting 50m rifle prone 60 shots men Results, https://www.olympics.com/en/olympic-games/london-1948/results/shooting/50m-rifle-prone-60-shots-men

 London 1948 Shooting 50m rifle prone 60 shots men Results, https://www.olympics.com/en/olympic-games/london-1948/results/shooting/50m-rifle-prone-60-shots-men

 Shooting at the 1954 Asian Games, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shooting_at_the_1954_Asian_Games

 The Marksman, August 1939 issue, https://repository.mainlib.upd.edu.ph/omekas/files/original/28d401e3ff35f8f38f8315c0ae88c4a722ca0e4a.pdf

 Albert von Einsiedel, geni.com

41. Titan of Throws: AURELIO AMANTE, Discus and Shot Put Record Breaker (active 1930-1954)

Throwing events in athletics—like discus, shot put, javelin and hammer throws—do not exactly command attention the way that the more popular foot races, relays and sprints do. But in the 1930s, whenever Bicolano AURELIO AMANTE steps on the field to throw the discus or put the shot, the bleacher crowd is hushed into silence, their attention riveted on the field as this hulk of man prepares to unleash his renown power in the discus throw.

Indeed, Aurelio “Liling” Amante, in his prime, was not only the top discus thrower of the country, but also of the Asian region, breaking records at these field events in both local and international meets. His formidable hurling strength led to sportswriters to give him the sobriquets,  “Strongman” , “Hercules” or “Big Boy” of Philippine sports.

A Star Disc-overy in Field Athletics

Born in 1912, Amante was exposed to sports early—not as an athlete, but as a member of a crew that organized inter-school and inter-provincial track and field tournaments. His assigned tasks included retrieving discus plates, shot put balls and javelins after every athlete’s throw. During the breaks or after the conclusion of the meets, Amante would often tinker with the discus, practicing how to hurl them. He was surprised to find he could throw them at great distances, and the teen soon developed a keen interest in the sport. He was largely self-taught, learning from books and sports manuals to improve his skills.

It was in one such meet in Masbate that Amante  caught the attention of national discus champion Fidel Mendoza while he was practicing his throws. He mentored him about the finer points of discus throwing, sharing the technical aspects of the throw, from his grip, to his turns, and timing of the release.

Amante would meet Mendoza again—this time as fellow competitors at the 1930 National Track and Field Meet in Manila. The seasoned veteran Mendoza, as expected, bagged the Gold—but trailing not too far behind was his 18 year old protégé, Aurelio Amante, who earned a Bronze medal finish.

Throwing His Weight Around at the Try-Outs

Amante continued to improve in the next few years and 1934 proved to be his busiest season yet—and also the most productive. At age 22, now in the collegiate ranks, he competed at the 1934 Interscholastic Meet in Bacolod, Negros Occidental—and reigned supreme in the Discus Throw by winning the Gold.

This instantly qualified him to join the Track and Field Preliminary Qualifying Meet held at the newly-built Rizal Memorial Stadium on 31 March 1934—which was the first level elimination round to determine the Philippine team to the 1934 Far Eastern Championship Games slated in May.

By this time, there were emerging strong student athletes like William “Bill” Ray, Mario Branzuela (both from U.P.)  and Delfin Danguilan (Army) who were to be Amante’s biggest rivals. In the Discus Throw where Amante was the defending champion, he suffered a surprise loss when Ray, who heaved the discus to 129 ft. 3 inches, beat him to second place, with Branzuela in 3^rd. 

Not one to ponder at his defeat in his pet event, Amante returned to the field in the afternoon for the Shot Put event. In one mighty throw, Amante put the shot at an incredible 43 feet 1 5/8 inches, breaking by 3 feet the national record of Toribio Bucoy which stood at 40 ft. 1 in. Branzuela also surpassed Bucoy’s record, with a distance of 40 ft. 11 inches for Silver, Bucoy got the Bronze, while Bill Ray—who also entered this event—was a distant 4^th.

News of Amante’s sensational record-breaking feat in the shot put made headlines as he considered himself more as a discus specialist. Amante proved this, without a doubt, at the final try-outs for the remaining athletes held in the afternoon of 28 April 1934. At the discus event, he threw the disc at an astounding distance of 138 ft 1 7/8 inches, breaking the current Asian record of 132 ft. 11 ¾ , established by Japan’s Masae Saito at the 1930 Tokyo Far East Games. This time, Bill Ray came in 2^nd and Branzuela 3^rd.

The  Farthest of the Far, 1934

With his victory, Amante became part of the 197-strong Philippine national team to lead the country’s golden quest at the 1934 Far East Games slated for 16-20 May, in Manila. Amante was chosen to carry the country’s colors during the opening of the Games at the Rizal Memorial Stadium.

Brimming with renewed energy and confidence, Amante came to the Rizal Memorial Stadium just a day after the Games opening as a hometown favorite for the discus crown title. The Japanese though, led by Kosaku Kikutoto and Kiyoharu Fujita,  were determined to keep their title. Throw after throw, their distances were measured and registered, and when their attempts had all been used up, it was Amante of the Philippines who was at the top of winners’ list.

He had reset his month-old record to a new distance of 139 feet and 7 ¼ inches (42.54 m.), an unbelievable improvement of about a foot and a half—and a new Far East Games record! The Japanese were left fighting for next two places, with Kikutoto claiming Silver (42. 21 m) and Fujita, the Bronze (40.35 m.). The hometown crowd went wild with Amante’s triumph, and for days, his win was the buzz of local newspapers long after the closing of the Manila Far East Games.

Having a Field Day Putting and Throwing, 1934-1938

With the major competitions done, Amante began focusing on the future. As a scholar at Jose Rizal College, he was able to pursue both his sports and schooling. One of the more memorable events he was invited to join was the two-day dual track and field meet between visiting American stars led by the world’s fastest human, Ralph Metcalfe, and the cream of Filipino athletes.

Held in the last week of October, 1934, Amante was pitted against the 22 year old “Stanford Giant” Gordon Dunn in the Shot Put. He was no match for the American who smashed the Philippine record of 12.65 meters thrice, with a heave of 15. 27 meters. Though Amante was good only for a 3^rd place with 12.36 meters to show, he had a good time thrilling the packed audience of 6,000 at the Rizal Stadium.

Now a national sports figure, Amante was honored to appear as a guest of the 1935 National  Interscholastic Championships where he led 400 young crack athletes in declaring the Amateur Oath at the Rizal Track and Football Stadium.

The next year, Amante saw action at the Shot Put event of the annual NCAA Track and Field Meet where he claimed the Gold, enabling Jose Rizal College to capture  the overall championship title against perennial rivals La Salle and Mapua. He continued this winning streak in the Discus when he represented the NCAA in the 1937 National Track and Field Meet held on February 13.

Two important events awaited the much heralded athlete in 1938: the Intercollegiate Track and Field Meet (Feb. 26-27), and the National Open Track and Field Meet where NCAA dominated the field events with his Gold medal finish in the Discus, and Bronze in the Shot Put.

Discus Star Dismissed by U.P., 1940-1948

As the 1940s decade began, the now 28 year old athlete found gainful employment at the University of the Philippines, and secured a state scholarship to further his Education studies. In May 1940 however, Amante tried out and qualified to join the East Asia Athletic Meet in Japan in July along with sprinter Nemesio de Guzman and hurdler Jose Ravelo. They were lucky enough to earn winners’ points from the Tokyo tournament.

Upon their return however, Amante and the 2 alums were barred from admission due to their excessive absences, a violation of the scholarship rules. Disappointed due to the university’s lack of consideration, De Guzman transferred to Ateneo, a private school, while Ravelo accepted a high school teaching job in Iloilo. Amante stuck it out in his UP job despite being denied enrollment. He was conspicuously absent from the 1941 UAAP Track and Field Meet held at the end of January.

Amante, however, was allowed to compete by U.P. a month later at the 1941 National Open Track & Field Championships that took place end of February.  Amante proved his worth by winning the Gold in his favorite Discus Throw, hurling it a distance of 40.93 meters, or some 135.30 feet. It would seem that Amante’s golden win  settled the scholastic issue once and for all, but a scant 10 months later, the war would defer his academic and sporting ambitions for a good number of years.

When the war ended in 1945, the much-damaged University of the Philippines relocated its buildings to Diliman beginning in 1948. Amante resumed his academic and athletic pursuits here at age 36.  After all, he was still the undisputed holder of the Philippine and UAAP (University Athletic Association of the Philippines) records in the Discus Throw and Shot Put. And, in the 1948 National Field Meet, he still managed to win Silver Medals in the Discus and Shot Put (16 lbs.) events. He was entered in the same events at the 1948 UAAP Track and Field Meet where he beat out his younger rivals for the Gold in both the Discus and 16 lbs. Shot Put.

The Dean of the Discus: Asian Games and Beyond,  1951-1954

Three years later, now 39 years old, Amante was named to the Philippine national team that was sent to compete at the seminal Asian Games in New Delhi, India in 1951, from Mar. 8 to 11. He lost his title bid and settled for third place (38.14 m.) after India’s Makhan Singh (1^st, 39. 92 m. ) and Japan’s Norimi Sato (2^nd, 39.29 m.). Still, he was named by the Philippine Sportswriter’s Association as one of the Athletes of the Year in Field Events, for 1951-1952.

The second Asian Games in Manila staged in 1954 was to be Aurelio Amante’s last major international outing. In the finals, the 42 year old senior athlete finished a dismal 7^th in the Discus Throw, won by another Indian, Parduman Singh Brar, who likewise pocketed the Shot Put Gold. Thus ended his domination as the region’s best discus thrower.

Retiring from Athletics, he became an instructor of Physical Education at the Araneta Institute of Agriculture (now known as De La Salle Araneta University) until the 60s and while staying connected with the University of the Philippines, Press section. “Big Boy” Aurelio Amante, the Filipino titan of throws, the Hercules strongman, remained a lifelong bachelor, opting to devote most of his young, productive years to the sport that he loved best.

 SOURCES:

 “El record nacional de ‘shot put’ batido por Aurelio Amante”, Deportes, La Vanguardia, p. 7, 2 Apr. 1934

“Amante mejora el registro Oeriental en disco”, Deportes, La Vanguardia, p. 9, 30 Apr. 1934

“197 Atletas representaran a Filipinas en la olimpiada”, Deportes, La Vanguardia, p. 9, 4 May 1934

“Amante Takes Amateur Oath”, The Tribune, 15 Feb 1935, p. 11.

Photo: “Amante, Ray, Branzuela”, Presentando a nuestros atletas.

Photo: “Aurelio Amante”. La Vanguardia, p. 7, 17 May 1934

Photo: Aurelio Amante,“Record Breaker”, The Tribune, 28 Sep. 1934, p. 11

Photo: Aurelio Amante shot put”, Saturday Mirror Magazine, 2 Nov. 1957

Philippine Yearbook, 1951-1952, “Sports”

Graphic Magazine, 1934 Far East Games coverage

40. AMELITA ALANES: PH Olympian, Track Wonder of the 70s

AMELITA ALANES-SABERON earned 2 Asian Games Medals and was a
quarterfinalist in the 200 M. race at the 1972 Munich Olympic Games.

Dubbed as one of the “Track Wonders” of Southern Tagalog Athletic Association (STAA) in 1970s, AMELITA ALANES, reigned as the country’s premiere sprinter in the 1970s, winning in the Asian Championships, the Asian Games, and becoming a member of the national athletics team that competed at the tragedy-ridden Munich Olympics in 1972.

She was born in La Carlota, Negros Occidental on 28 Feb. 1952, the daughter of farmer parents. She had her start running barefoot in her hometown in 1966, because her parents could not afford the spiked shoes for sprinting. Yet, she often beat bigger opponents, She then progressed to inter-scholastic meets, where she established 3 junior records.

That was how the shoeless, but fleet-footed Alanes was spotted by Gov. Isidro Rodriguez and Southern Tagalog athletic officials. They offered to train her for inclusion in their much vaunted talent pool. The athletes from Southern Tagalog Athletic Association (STAA) were then considered powerhouse at the Bureau of Public Schools-Interscholastic Athletics Association Games (BPISAA)—which would later be renamed Palarong Pambansa in 1974.

On many occasions, STAA had captured the major championships of the BPISAA Games, lording over tough competition from Western Visayas and Mindanao. Southern Tagalog’s strengths lie in football, basketball and athletics. Alanes joined the Rizal’s women’s athletic team---and her baptism of fire in big league athletics began immediately.

Armed with just her 3 junior records and regional wins, the 18 year old was among the last to be chosen for the 1970 Asiad line-up.

She would come home with a Silver Medal in the 200 meter dash, the highest honor won in Bangkok, by the country’s track and field delegation. She recalls the moments leading to her magnificent win in the Asiad. She had raced in the 200 m. heats, placing second to the formidable Olympic medalist Chi Cheng of Chinese Taipei, who came in at 23.7 secs., a new Asian record, despite pulled muscles in both legs,

Later, it was announced that the frontrunner Chi Cheng was pulling out of the 200 meter finals due to her injury. At the Supachalasai Stadium, she remembers thinking “May pag-asa na rin kahit konti”, as she set her feet on the starting blocks. As the gun sounded, Alanes burst into action and sped off, hands flailing, and reaching the finish bunched up with other runners.

She was uncertain if she had done enough. But when the electronic scoreboard flashed the results, Alanes saw her name in 2^nd place, clocking 25.2 secs. behind Keiko Yamada of Japan  (25 secs.), with Indonesia’s Carolina Rieuwpassa coming in 3^rd (25.4 secs.). She remembers sobbing on the shoulders of her coach and being swamped by her fellow runners.

The Philippine performance at the Bangkok Games turned out to be one of the poorest for the country, with Ricardo Fortaleza’s lone boxing gold. The track delegation could only contribute 3 Bronzes and 1 Silver—courtesy of Alanes, who saved the day for the Philippines. Moving forward upon her return, Alanes resumed her training with her team mates to prepare for the biggest competition in her life—this time, at the 1972 Olympics in Munich.

The 1972 BPISAA Games in Vigan held for a week starting on April 11, served as a tryout to the Olympics scheduled later in the year in August. Once more, the Southern Tagalog Athletic Association came ready, armed with its finest athletes, among them,  the Rizal  women’s athletic team. The quartet of track wonders included Lucila Salao, Aida Mantawel, Rosalinda Yumol, and the Asian Games medalist Amelita Alanes. Alanes, with the best credentials, did not disappoint.

Alanes competed in 3 individual events: 100 m., 200 m. and 400 m. She won them all, earning 3 Golds and cementing her reputation as the country’s top sprinter. Together with Salao, Mantawel and Yumol, they won berths in the Philippine National Team that were sent to Munich in August for the 20th Olympic competitions.

The infamous Munich Summer Games were held from Aug. 26 to Sep. 12.  Alanes was entered in her favorite events: the 100 and 200 meter dash, and the team event, 4 x 100 m. relay with Salao, Mantawel and Yumol. In her century dash heat, she ran alongside the East German amazon, Renate Stecher. Alanes made a quick exit, timing in at inexplicably at slow 12.37 secs. As expected Stecher topped that heat and advanced all the way to the Finals to win the Gold with a world record time of 11.06 seconds.

Alanes fared better in the 200 meters, timing in at 24.98 secs. in 7^th place, which was good enough to put her into the Quarterfinal rounds. She was eliminated in Round 1, clocking in at 25.28, and thus did not  advance to the semifinals. Stecher, again, won the 200 m. finals Gold in convincing fashion, with an amazing 22.1 secs. clocking. Alanes also lucked out in the 4 x100 m. relay race, as the team was disqualified in the 1^st heat.

 When Alanes returned to the Philippines, she set her sights on the inaugural 1973 Asian Athletics Championships in Manila. There, at the Rodriguez Sports Center in Marikina, the track wonder won the Gold with an 11.6 seconds in the 100m. ahead of 2 Japanese Michiko Morita and Sayo Yamato who clocked identical 12 secs. 

In 1978, the now married Amelita Alanes-Saberon competed in her last Asian Games, also in Bangkok, Thailand. The 8^th edition of these games, held from Dec. 14-19, were controversial because they were not sanctioned by the International Amateur Athletics Federation due to the exclusion of Israel by the organizers. The Philippines had a dismal showing in Bangkok, with no gold medal to show. Still, Alanes, who was entered in the 4 x 100 M. Relay along with Lucila Tolentino-Salao, Rosalinda Yumol and Lydia Silva-Netto salvaged the Bronze in 47 seconds flat, behind Thailand (Gold, 46.20 secs.) and Japan (Silver, 46. 78 secs.).

Alanes-Saberon registered her personal best of 11.4 seconds for the 100 meter dash in 1974. It stood as a National Record for 13 long years before Lydia de Vega broke it at the 1987 Southeast Asian Games, with a time of 11.28 secs.  

SOURCES

Olympic database, Amelita Alanes, https://www.olympiandatabase.com/index.php?id=53690&L=1

The Filipino Athlete, The Munich Olympics, Oct. 1972

39. Swimmer RENÉ AMABUYOK, 1948 Olympian, Asian Games Medalist, Swim Coach

One of the country’s finest post-war swimmers to emerge from the far South was RENÉ  TALITI AMABUYOK, born 10 July 1923, of Japanese-Filipino lineage, in Zamboanga City, Zamboanga. At the age of 10, he took up swimming, and became so proficient that he progressed to competitive swimming in his high school years at Zamboanga High School.

After his graduation, the young Rene moved to Manila and enrolled at Mapua Institute in 1939 to take up Physical Education. There, he honed his swimming skills as a member of the Mapua Swimming Team, helping win championship trophies for his school in many inter-collegiate meets.

When the Japanese-led global war reached the Pacific in 1941, Rene dropped out of Mapua and transferred to the National College of Physical Education (N.C.P.E.), a school founded in 1932 by the Philippine Amateur Athletic Federation (P.A.A.F.). There, he secured his certificate in Physical Education.

During all these years, Rene and his family kept a low profile being partly Japanese. When the defeat of Japan became imminent, the family Filipinized their surname of Koyubama, reversing the spelling to ‘Amabuyok’, to avert any possible ill feelings towards their Japanese link, even if they considered themselves as true and loyal Filipinos.

Sure enough, when the war came to a close and a sense normalcy began to settle in the country as re-building began in earnest, Rene Koyubama, now known as Rene Amabuyok, resumed his swimming career determined to represent the Philippines and raise its flag abroad. By this time, he was turning in incredible times in national meets, especially in the breaststroke, backstroke and the new butterfly events.

Though Amabuyok never dreamed he would someday be a great swimmer, his qualification to the lean 26-man Philippine Olympic team gave him an opportunity to prove his worth and stretch his potential. Amabuyok was just one of 3 swimmers sent to compete in London held at the end of July in 1948. UST’s Jacinto Cayco and Letran’s Sambiao Basanung completed the swim team.

Amabuyok was entered in only one event—the 200 meter breaststroke the same event at the 1928 Olympics where Teofilo Yldefonso made history by claiming Bronze, the 1^st Filipino Olympic medalist. To get to the finals, he had to hurdle the First Round of Heats that would determine the Semifinalists.

The First Round consisted of 5 Heats; the first 2 finishers of each heat—plus the 6 fastest losers get to advance to the Semifinals. Amabuyok swam in Heat 1 and landed 4^th with a time of 2: 52.6 minutes. When the Semifinalists’ names were called, Amabuyok was one of them.

The Semifinals Round saw Amabuyok grouped again with U.S. Robert Sohl, who had swum with him and who had topped the First Round Heat 1. Amabuyok bettered his time to 2: 51.8 mins,, placing 6^th among 8 swimmers.

In the Semifinals, the first 3 fastest, plus the 2 fastest losers will fight it out for the Finals. When all the times of the 2 semifinal heat swimmers were tallied, Amabuyok found himself in 11^th place, and was thus eliminated. Still, his 11^th place finish among 32 swimmers was a creditable accomplishment.  In the end, the 200 m. breaststroke finals became an all-American finish, with Joseph Verdure (1^st), Keith Carter (2^nd) and Robert Sohl (3^rd) as winners,

London would be his first and last Olympics. His next competition was at the Manila-Hongkong Interport Meet of 1949 which the Philippines topped. Then the inaugural 1^st  Asian Games opened in New Delhi, India in 1951. There, Amabuyok was entered in his favorite 200 m. breaststroke event and won a Silver Medal in 2:54.8 minutes behind his team mate Jacinto Cayco, who won Gold in 2:54.4, a new games record.  

In his sterling swimming career, Amabuyok also mastered the new butterfly stroke, which only became an independent event beginning in 1956 at the Melbourne Olympics. He held the 100 m. butterfly record (1:14.8 mins.)  for 7 years (1950-1956), until his student, , teen sensation Freddie Elizalde broke it at a 1956 High School Boys swim league with a time of 1:12.6 mins.

After his retirement, Amabuyok became a coach of the Indians Swim Teams of the American School in Manila, handling both the girls and boys varsity teams. He led the teams to several significant wins in meets like those mounted by the Manila Athletic Association for Secondary Schools.

At the 1958 National Intersecondary School Meet, the American School, paced by the aforementioned Freddie Elizalde, captured the Boys Division  championship title to put an end to FEU’s domination of the tournament.

In inter-department school presentation, Coach Amabuyok, with his fine singing voice (he moonlit as a professional singer), would join the swimming team in musical productions. Off-season would find him either swimming at the Rizal Memorial pool or taking care of his wife and 7 children, 5 girls and 2 boys. It is interesting to note that one of her daughters, Arene Cecilia “Pinky” Anas Amabuyok became the Philippine beauty delegate to the 1968 Miss World Contest in London. She placed 5^th , the first time a Filipino reached the finals of the oldest beauty pageant in the world.

Asked about the pronouncement of her daughter’s supposed wish to become a nun—news that generated buzz around the world—coach Amabuyok said he knew nothing about his daughter becoming a nun. “She’s just like any other girl,” he said.

Amabuyok remained as a much-loved coach of the American School—now known as International School based in Makati—until his retirement. From the 70s onwards, there has been no news, nor any details of his passing—but swimmer, coach and Olympian Rene Amabuyok will always be known as a multi-faceted athlete whose love for mentoring young swimmers knows no bounds.

 SOURCES:

1948 London Olympics Official Report, LA84 Digital Library, https://digital.la84.org/digital/collection/p17103coll8/id/5717/

Rene Amabuyok, Olympedia

Photo Credits: Pinky A. Santos FB Page : (Coach Amabuyok, with Indian Swim Team of American School/ Amabuyok with Trophy)/ Rodante Sacdalan FB Page: (Rep Men’s Swimming Team 1^st Asian Games, New Delhi, India/ American School articles: “R. Amabuyok, Swim Coach”; “Swimming Season Starts”/ Nostalgia Manila, “ Amabuyok,Baker Rizal Swim Meet 1952”

38. My Most Thrilling Game: SEBASTIAN UGARTE, Champion Football Player, Graphic Magazine, 27 Nov. 1929

Here is a reproduced article from Philippine Graphic Magazine, from Nov. 27, 1929, part of "My Most Thrilling Game", a series of sports features based on interviews with our most popular athletes of the 1920s generation.

The name of SEBASTIAN UGARTE is familiar to all lovers of athletics. For one thing, while writing sports write-ups regularly for four publications and occasionally for two others—one of them GRAPHIC—he was usually seen wherever games were played. And for another thing, he figures in several branches of athletics.

But his fame lies in soccer football, which he began playing early in life—so early that by the time he was fifteen, he was already in the big leagues. He was for a long time a member of the La Salle combination, for fourteen consecutive years collegiate soccer champion of the Philippines. He has also played for the now defunct Circulo Recreativo, Club Filipino, Casino Español, last year’s champion Santo Tomas eleven, and some others. There can be little doubt that he is the best right-out in the country, for he can center a “cornered” pigskin with deadly precision, can dribble and pass skillfully, and has considerable force behind his kick.

In his sixteenth year, he was asked to join the Olympic team, but as they traveled to Osaka, his family objected on the ground of his youth. Later, however, he eventually became an Olympic player.

 “The most thrilling game I’ve ever played?” He considered the question for a minute or two before deciding: “I think that came about when I was with the All-Manila outfit which invaded Java a few years ago. We were playing then in Batavia, the capital, against the ‘Hercules’ aggregation—a team worthy of its name, for it was certainly a strong one.

 “The game began badly for us, and throughout the first half and the best portion of th second, all indications were to the effect that it would end that way too.

“The fight was heated enough and, for that matter, fundamentally even also. But somehow, they had the edge on us and whereas they failed repeatedly, we couldn’t manage to shoot the sphere between their goal posts. It seemed as if we were, to put it in soccer parlance, ‘dominated’. However, we didn’t lose hop and were resolved not to let the battel ease to the very end.

 “Ten minutes before the whistle blew for the last time, with the score three to nothing in favor of the Javanese team, a series of unexpected things began to happen. I don’t know what started them, but start they did.

 “Perhaps, we sort of became desperate and determined to make at least one goal before the game ended, fought like tigers. In any case, we surpassed all expectations . We made rush after rush, breaking through the Hercules defense again and again, the while checking all efforts of our opponents to advance and retaliate. And all in ten minutes—but believe me, within that short space of time was packed the thrill of years!

“To this day, I don’t know how we did it.”

Mr. Ugarte smiled humorously. “it was a miracle, really! From out the fury with which we attacked and the Javanese defended, a shot streak past the Javanese goal-keeper. Score 1-3. That was encouraging, perhaps electrifying, to the Filipinos. That lone tally inspired us. The furious mix-ups which followed found the sphere shooting into enemy goal twice in quick succession. The score was now 3-3.

 “The Javanese literally became ferocious at this state of the game, and we, with the coming of hope for victory, were no less fierce. In that atmosphere—one goal and a few fast fading minutes to make it—was defeat or victory.

 “The ball was soon sailing across the field---and in the direction of our own goal. The Javanese were determined to shoot another goal, and the ball was approaching the goal posts with lightning speed and deadly precision. A beautiful kick from the Javanese and the sphere shot straight between the posts. Our heart sank with that beautiful kick, but we hoped our own goal keeper would stop it—and he did. The ball sped back now into enemy territory and there followed one of the most desperate seconds of football I have ever played.

We got the ball so near the enemy goal posts that only a few feet separated us from victory. But the Javanese would not yield, but there followed a last second which gave us victory.”

SOURCES:

 GRAPHIC, 27 Nov. 1929 issue

De La Salle Alumni Association Sports Hall of Fame 1993

Photo: 1930 Far east games Foot ball team, wikimedia commons

37. THE 1972 PHILIPPINE BASKETBALL TEAM TO THE MUNICH OLYMPICS

At the 20^th Olympiad held in Munich, Germany, the Philippine Basketball Team proved that it was still the best in Asia when it placed 13^th overall after the controversy-tainted finals between the U.S. and U.S.S.R. The Soviet Union snapped the gold medal streak of U.S.A. when it won by a point (51-50) , relegating the Americans to 2nd place, with Cuba placing 3rd. 

The Philippines team suffered defeats against Poland (90-75), Puerto Rico (92-72), West Germany (93-74), Yugoslavia (117-76), Soviet Union (111-80), and Italy (101-81). Undettered despite overwhelming odds, the Philippines won its games against Senegal (78-71), Egypt (2-0, by default) and perennial foe Japan (82-73).

Members of the 1972 Philippine Olympic Basketball Team.

WILLIAM "Bogs" ADORNADO. (b. 26 May 1951). UST college basketball player. Joined Crispa Redmanizers as rookie, achieving star status at the Manila Industrial and Commercial Athletic Association (MICAA) All-Filipino Tournament. 3-time Philippine Basketball Association Most Valuable Player (1975, 1976, and 1981). Named among the PBA Greatest Players. Inducted in the 2005 PBA Hall of Fame.

NARCISO C. BERNARDO. (b. 27 Jul. 1937 / d. 23 Dec. 2008). Played in the MICAA for Ysmael Steel, Crispa and Mariwasa. Coached the Crispa 400s in the MICAA and later the Crispa Redmanizers in the Philippine Basketball Association, leading the team to the 1984 PBA First All-Filipino Conference championship. Served as councilor in Mandaluyong City, but failed to finish term due to his death.

RICARDO "Joy" CLEOFAS. (b. 9 Feb. 1951). Played college basketball for Ateneo which became NCAA champions in 1969 with team mates Marte Samson, Chito Afable, Jun Ross and Francis Arnaiz. Played for YCO Painters at the MICAA after graduation. Known for his accurate distance shooting and passing. Member of the first Youth team in 1970 that won the first ABC Youth Tournament. Post-Olympics, plated at the 1973 Asian Basketball Confederation and the 1974 World Basketball Confederation in Puerto Rico. Entered the PBA pro league playing for Tanduay.

DANNY Z. FLORENCIO: (b. 5 Sep. 1947/d. 25 Feb. 2018). Nicknamed "Daredevil Danny", original "Skywalker". Played with UST Glowing Goldies (1965–1967). Member, PH Team, which beat South Korea 83-10 for the 1967 ABC Championships won through his last minute 4-points scoring thus earning his 1^st Olympic slot in Mexico. Placed 2^nd  in 1971 ABC Championships, qualifier to the 1972 Munich Olympics.  Played with YCO Painters and Crispa at the MICAA. Turned pro in PBA with the U/Tex Wranglers, the Toyota Super Corollas, 7-Up, and the Galerie Dominique Artistas (1975-83) . Ranked 11th in the all-time scoring plateau with 5,791 points, 8TH in scoring average, and 13th all-time in steals. Named PBA's Greatest Players (2000).  PBA Hall of fame inductee (2007). Retired and settled in San Francisco, California, until his death from a stroke in 2018.

JAIME "Jimmy" MARIANO. (b. 19 Apr. 1941). Known as “Mr. Cool”, the 6'3 1/2" Malabon native first played for the UE Red Warriors team under Coach Baby Dalupan. Later played in the MICAA for Ysmael Steel, Meralco and Concepcion Industries.  2-Time Olympian: 1968 Mexico, and 1972 Munich where he was the country’s flag bearer. Team captain of the national basketball team in the 1974 FIBA World Cup. Began his coaching career in 1981 as coach of  Presto Tivolis and  Red Bull in the Philippine Basketball League. Led Presto to the 1990 All-Filipino championship. Also had coaching stints with University of the East Red Warriors ( 2 UAAP Championship titles).

ROSALIO "Yoyong" MARTIREZ. (b. 9 Sep.1946/ d. 18 June 2024). “Sultan of Swipe. Originally from Samar, moved to Cebu where he played for Southwestern University before being recruited by the San Miguel Beermen. 2-time PBA champion, Guard of PH Team in  the 1972 Munich Games, a World Basketball Championship player in San Juan, Puerto Rico, and a Gold Medalist in the 1973 ABC and 1970 Asian Youth tournaments. Saw action in MICAA from 1972-1982. In late 70s, forayed into acting, appearing on TV shows like “Iskul Bukol”, “John en Marsha”, “Pepito Manaloto”, among others. Debuted in the 1985 film “Ma'am May We Go Out? With Tito, Vic & Joey. Served as councilor and later vice mayor of Pasig.

ROGELIO "Tembong" MELENCIO. (b. 27 Sep. 27, 1939/ d. 1995).Tondo-born Melencio played for the Yutivo Opels and for Concepcion Industries in the MICAA. PH Team player at the ABC Championships in Seoul (1967)  and Manila (1973) where the Philippines won Gold. This Munich Olympians was also a key member of the Pesta Sukan Basketball Team. Tragically stabbed and killed in a bar room brawl in 1995.

 EDGARDO "Ed" OCAMPO. (b. 5 Oct. 1938/d. 19 Jul. 1992). Captain of the 1972 PH Olympic basketball team. Son of renown architect Fernando H. Ocampo and Lourdes Luciano. Initially played football for Ateneo, his first interest. Played in Korea and Spain as PH national team member and was named “Mr. Football” at age 17 in 1956. After a football injury, joined the Ateneo basketball team, leading to 2 back-to-back wins at the NCAA in 1957-58. Joined the YCO Painters in the MICAA and became part of its championship teams. Member, PH Basketball team (1959-1972). Placed 8th at the 1959 FIBA World Championship;  Member of 3 PH teams that won 3 ABC championships (1960, 1963, 1967). 3-time Olympian: 1960, 1968, and 1972. Had a long coaching career from 1975-1990. Honors: Ateneo Sports Hall of Fame (1982), National Basketball Hall of Fame (1999), PBA Hall of Fame (2013).

MANUEL “Manny” PANER. (b. 17 May 1949).A Cebuano, 6’ 2”, this Commerce student of University of Visayas, was renown for his strong defense and hook shots. Played in the MICAA for the San Miguel Braves. 1970 Most Outstanding Rebounder of MICAA. Named in the first Mythical Team of the 1975 PBA inaugural season. Left Royal Tru-Orange in 1978 for  Great Taste, after bagging a contract that paid him Php 8,000 a month, an unheard of sum at that time. Played briefly for CDCP Road Builders, but returned to San Miguel in 1982, until 1986. Named a member of the PBA's 25 Greatest Players (2000).  PBA Hall of Fame inductee (2007). Manny is married to actress Daisy Romualdez, father to 2 adopted daughters, Kristina and Danita.

ADRIAN “Jun” R. PAPA Jr. Played in the UAAP for the NU Bulldogs, and in the MICAA for Ysmael Steel Admirals and the Crispa-Floro Redmanizers . Joined Mariwasa in 1975  that played in the PBA, leading his team to 2^nd place in 1977 at the 1977 All-Filipino Conference championships. Named to PBA’s Mythical Five. His stint at the PBA spanned 6 seasons (1975–80).

 MARTE SAMSON. (b. 22 July 1951). Ateneo Blue Eagles ball player; 1969 NCAA champion. Gold medal, 1970 ABC Junior Championship (Now Called FIBA Asia U18 Championship), 1971 PH Team to the ABC tournament.  At age 21, the 6-footer Samson played first  for the Elizalde & Co. team at the MICAA. Had a 5-year stint at PBA  where he suited up as a member of the Painters,  Tanduay Distillery and Royal Tru Orangemen.

 FREDDIE WEBB. (b. 24 Nov. 1942). Schooled in San Beda, and Letran College (A.B. English) where he was a star player of the Letran Knights (1960–64). Played in the MICAA with the YCO Painters (1965–1975) and in the PBA with the Tanduay Rhum Makers (1976–78). Retired in 1978, and became PBA coach for YCO-Tanduay (1981–83) and Shell (1985). Also coached his alma mater Letran team in 1975. Joined politics as Pasay City councilor, 1971-78. Elected as congressman of Parañaque in 1987; Awarded one of the Ten Outstanding Congressman of the Year Award. Elected Senator in 1992. Became a Radio and TV personality as sportscaster, TV host and actor, appearing in the popular “Chicks to Chicks” opposite Nova Villa.

 *************

HEAD COACH IGNACIO RAMOS. Coach Ignacio "Ning" R. Ramos (b/?/ d. 22 Jun. 2012) played for the Ateneo Blue Eagles in the NCAA from 1949 -1950. Member of the Gold Medal winning  Philippine national basketball team at the 1951 Asian Games in New Delhi, India. Coached the San Miguel Corporation teams in the Manila Industrial and Commercial Athletic Association (MICAA) and the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA).

TEAM MANAGER DOMINGO YULO ITCHON. (1924–2004). MICAA president (1971-74), 2nd president of the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA), Asia's first professional basketball league. Cum laude business administration graduate of the University of the East, CPA board topnotcher and Harvard University graduate. Controller of the Elizalde Group of Companies. Appointed team manager of the Elizalde-owned YCO Painters in the Manila Industrial and Commercial Athletic Association (MICAA), serving for over 20 years. Itchon was also MICAA president from 1971-1974. Itchon also became team manager of four Philippines men's national basketball teams. Posthumously inducted into the PBA Hall of Fame on 8 Apr. 2007.

SOURCES:

THE FILIPINO ATHLETE, Vol. XXV, Sep-Oct 1972 issue.

Wallechinsky, David. The Complete Boof of the Olympics, Penguin Books, 1988. "Basketbal", pp. 178