35. The Young Boxer Dreamt of an “Anthony’s Day”: GOLDEN RECEPTION FOR A SILVER MEDALIST

When Anthony Villanueva arrived Tuesday afternoon last week, the most audible sounds that greeted him as he inched his way through the streets from Pasay to Manila to Quezon City on an open Thunderbird convertible were the giggles of admiring girls.

Anthony, the 19 year old featherweight sensation, many a girl sighed , was good looking and remarks like “His cheeks are rosy,” “He looks like a movie actor,” “Simpatiko” and “Guwapong-guwapo” were heard from the crowd. One male commented that if he were not good looking, there would not be that many people (the crowd was 15-deep in Escolta).

But Anthony was more than good-looking. He was humble in victory and his oft-bowed head betrayed his extreme shyness.

A month before Anthony’s departure for the World’s Olympic at Tokyo, Anthony told his father Cely Villanueva: “Itay, there was a day for Elorde and a day for Gemma, but I pray that when I return home, there shall also be an Anthony’s day.”

Anthony’s first words to his after upon meeting him in the airport were: “Itay, your Olympic record was broken.” Cely’s answer to Anthony was, ”Son, I have always prayed for your victory. Your Inay and I, and the whole nation are proud of you.”Anthony was speechless the first moments he saw his father and mother. All he could do was cry on his mother’s shoulder.

According to Gene Puyat, whom Anthony calls “Tito” and sometimes “Mr. Paymaster,” after Anthony won the silver medal he was just himself again---very shy, very modest.

 Anthony  is a music lover. He hopes to organize his own combo. He said if he can help it, he does not want to turn professional in boxing. “I want to retire and continue my studies in fine arts.”

 In his quarters at Tokyo, Anthony was once seen by Gene Puyat shadow boxing to the tune of martial music. During his fight at the World’s Olympics, Anthony was not thinking of the bronze or the silver medals. Gene Puyat said he simply fought like the devil to win. Before the final bout in Tokyo, Anthony was even seen in his room, at the Hotel Imperial kneeling in prayer.

Anthony has been offered movie contracts through his father Cely. If Anthony consents, he is schedules to appear in a movie entitled “Pamatay—Kaliwa at Kanan.” For the “Anthony Villlanueva Story”, he has a standing offer of P100,000.

Anthony said that “Tito Gene,” like his Itay, is also deeply religious. “All of us in the boxing team, recited the Rosary and the Lord’s Prayer before training.” Gene Puyat, that he required his boys to pray and sing the National Anthem before they trained or fought in competition.

“We observed struct discipline. This applied to the coach and trainers as weel. Anyone who broke a rule was out.” Puyat also said: “We had to pray. My responsibility was enormous. Anything can happen in boxing. The lives of no less than six boxers were at stake. To me, their safety is my great concern.”

Puyat sent no less than three years training his boxers. This involved time, money, and effort. “In boxing, money is imperative. The boys trained very hard and they needed a special diet. Tuyo and tinapa cannot make them strong. We have to supplement their intake with special diet such as steak, milk, and eggs. I have appealed to my friends for funds and I am grateful they responded.”

Cely reiterated his boast (not an empty one) about Anthony being an ideal boxer. Cely, who likes to dabble in verses, extols Anthony’s ability by quoting the late sports authority Grantland Rice: “To be a champion boxer, one must have the endurance of a marathoner, the strength of a Hercules, the grace and ease of a dancer (which is Anthony’s master), the precision of a baseball player (which Anthony possesses), but above all, he must possess a super abundance of that mysterious quality known as the fighting heart.”

Anthony, despite his twice cut eyebrow, fought to the finish in the final bout in Tokyo. Anthony’s trainer and second,”Aling Enriquez, said it was not true he told Anthony to hold his punches in the first round in his bout with the Russian. “In fact, “ he said, “I told him to go after the Russian from the very start when I noticed Anthony’s punches made him groggy. But unfortunately, our opponents in Tokyo were not the boxers, but the judges.”

Anthony may never turn pro but many will not forget the days when he brought joy and pride to millions of despairing Filipinos who were getting accustomed to news about disastrous defeats in Tokyo.

A humble Anthony coming home was a real champion, in and out of the ring. 

SOURCE:

F. M. Caliwag, The Sunday Times Magazine, 15 September 1964, pp. 26-28

 

 

34. RP’s New Ring Hero, ANTHONY VILLANUEVA, HE VOWED TO BREAK HIS FATHER’S RECORD

by Felix Caliwag, The Sunday Times Magazine, 8 November 1964, pp. 18-21

When 19-year-old ANTHONY VILLANUEVA capped the only silver medal won by his country since the Philippines participated in the Olympics in 1924, no man was more proud than his father, Jose “Cely” Villanueva. In fact, he was so proud, he cried.

But not many people know that Cely started off his son with elercises when he was a baby, At the age of 4, Anthony was already in the ring, mixing it up with another tot in an exhibition bout.

 Jose “Cely” Villanueva was in tears when he showed The Sunday Times Magazine a telegram which was sent to him by Anthony after he had won the silver medal, in the recently concluded Tokyo Olympics. The wire read, “Sorry, Itay, I already broke your record.”

To father and son, this simple communication has a lot of meaning. Cely recounted that in 1952, during a PAAF award night, he showed “Boy” (that’s how father calls son Anthony), who was barely 7 years old then, a plaque which was given to him as a world’s Olympic bronze medalist. “I distinctly remember this is what I told Boy, in Tagalog: “This record has not been broken in the Philippines.”

According to Cely, Boy readily answered: “Itay, I’ll break that record.”

“Just imagine,” Cely continued, “my own son breaking my Olympic record. Is this not a remarkable father-and-son-affair? I must confess that when I heard the news that Boy had won the silver medal, I was so overwhelmed I could hardly eat for three days.

“But, do you know that fate seems to have a pattern for Boy and me. I was born on March 19. And Boy was born a day ahead, March 18. I won a bronze medal in the bantamweight division and Boy won a silver medal in the featherweight division which is a rung higher.”

Because of Anthony’s victory, Cely said he has proven that his son’s boxing method is superior. Cely was reminded, however, that so far, no one disputed the fact that he is the dean of Filipino boxing trainers and that he has proven it through Elorde’s successful bouts and the many pugilists he has trained to become champions.

 “So many of our so-called boxing experts got for the slugger type. Not since my time has any of these sluggers won any medal in an Olympics. They were all defeated, They say I am a stylist. Well, Boy is a stylist, too. Sugar Ray Robinson, whose record in the annals of boxing has yet to be broken, is another super-stylist. At least we have proven something.”

What particular style has Boy adopted?

“Boy is an all-around performer, He can box, slug, counter punch, and defend. Boys is also adept at combination punches with both mitts. He is a body puncher but he himself is durable. In short, he is the ideal boxer who can give and take punches.”

At what age did Boy actually start boxing?

“I think he was a little over 3 years when he first dinned his boxing gloves. I was then instructor at the Manila Police Department. A certain sports goods store donated uniforms and fighting shoes. Instead of these donations, I convinced the donor to give me boxing gloves for kids. When I reached hme to present a pair of boxing gloves to Boy, he was so overjoyed that he kissed me several times and kept on jumping.

Since then, according to Cely, Boy showed a very special interest in boxing. He kept his boxing gloves in a box and he saw to it that they were always clean.

"In 1948, a fire broke out in our neighborhoods in Felix Huertas and naturally we were all rushing to take our belongings out of the house. But, do you known that Boy’s first impulse was to save only his boxing gloves?

“I realized then that even at that early age, Boy already demonstrated his deep concern for boxing. In the years that followed, I tried to convince Boy to discontinue his interest in boxing as I explained to him that is a thankless and rough sport. But Boy was simply adamant. He has will power, you know.”

The Olympic bronze medalist said his son is the calm type. “While it is true he is not temperamental, it is, however fair warning that he should not be provoked.”

Cely related an incident in which Boy boxed a playmate almost twice his age. “Boy, who was barely 4 years, was drawing something on the cement. After he finished his drawing, a boy, who was twice his age, erased his drawing. Anthony warned him twice and when the playmate refused to heed his warning the third time, Anthony hit him straight on the jaw. The playmate cried and complained to his father. But when the father saw it was only Anthony who was half his son’s age, he laughed aloud.”

This sort of thing, Cely said, was repeated on several occasions when Anthony was provoked. But as a rule, “Boy is very forgiving. He loves his plamates and he always treats them to a blow-out. They call him the little Santa Claus.”

Who is Anthony’s favorite boxer?

“Boy has great admiration for Elorde but he idolizes Cely Villanueva,” was Cely’s laconic answer.

The greatest Filipino Olympian to date received this special advice from his father: “Son, always be humble in victory or defeat.”

“It must be told,” Cely says, “there would not be an Anthony Villanueva without my friend Tom Ortega, our dean of physical culture.

“I am always grateful to Tom who saved me from certain death. It was Tom who sacrificed time and effort to help me recover from my failing health. That was before Boy was even born. I was desperate and bed-ridden. Tom gave me his personal attention. He supervised my training until I was pronounced fit to work. Inagaw ni Tom ang buhay ko sa tiyak na kamatayan at ito ay niloob ng Diyos marahil upang ibigay sa atin si Anthony.

“A few weeks after Boy was born, Tom also showed special interest in him.. He gave him baby exercises. It’s quite amazing but in nine months time, Boy was able to walk already to the Systomor gym at Dasmariñas, A foreigner who happened to take his photo was surprised to learn that Boy was only nine months old.”

Does Cely have a special diet for Anthony?

“Boy takes a very light breakfast. He takes tea or coffee and two soft-boiled eggs. But he takes his lunch at exactly 11 a.m. His lunch consists of hot fish and green vegetable salads. His supper when he has to eat well consists of steak.”

Cely pointed out that during the Olympic qualifying tournament, it was he who trained Anthony. “They tried to turn him into a slugger but I told Boy to sick to what I had taught him. Boy is very obedient. If he hears my whistle at night, he immediately goes to bed.

“Boy is also deeply religious. He collects religious objects. In his wallet, he has many estampitas. I also told him that “man propose, God disposes!”

That was Cely Villanueva speaking, about a son who may one day become a world champion.

SOURCE:

The Sunday Times Magazine, 8 November 1964, pp.18-21

Photos by Marcelino Roxas

33. Teen Boxer ANTHONY N. VILLANUEVA, The Country’s 1st Olympic Silver Medalist, 1964

The 19 year old boxer who became a household name in 1964 with his unprecedented and historic triumph at the Tokyo Olympics was born Anthony N. Villanueva (b. 18 March 1945)  to parents Flora Narvaez and Jose “Cely” Villanueva, an Olympian bronze medalist in bantamweight boxing at the 1932 Los Angeles Olympics.

 His pugilist father influenced his interest in boxing. As a 5 year old, his father gifted him with small barbells and boxing gloves which became Anthony’s favorite “toys”. At age 17, the clean-cut Villanueva enrolled at the Far Eastern University which had an outstanding college boxing program. Boxing aficionado and businessman Eugenio Puyat saw his potential and supported him, such that by 1962, at age 17, the teen became a national sensation when he won the Bantamweight title at the National Open Championships. 

This led to his being drafted to the national boxing pool, and 2 years later, he qualified as part of the Philippine boxing squad to the 1964 Tokyo Olympics along with welterweight Manfredo Alipala, flyweight Dominador Calumarde, bantamweight Arnulfo Torrevillas, lightweight Rodolfo Arpon and light middleweight Felix Ocampo, under coach Aling Enriquez.

It was an exciting time for the young Villanueva as he embarked on his quest for Olympic boxing gold. He was just 19, the same age as his father when he had won his bantamweight bronze in Los Angeles, 32 years earlier. Before he left, Anthony vowed to break his father’s 3^rd place finish which had remained unbroken for more than 2 decades.

Almost golden.

The 40-man Philippine delegation prepared for action as shortly after the games opened on 10 October 1964 in Tokyo, Japan—the first Olympics to be held in Asia. The Boxing events went underway on October 13 at the Kora Kuen Ice Palace with 32 boxers in the featherweight division, from 32 countries. Villanueva won his opening bout against Italy’s Giovanni Girgenti on points, and moved on to dispose of Tunisia’s Tasser Ben Hasssen 4-1, but wounding his right eyebrow in the process.

The Quarterfinals round saw him flooring Poland’s Pyotr Gutman thrice, winning the bout by RSC ( Referee Stops Contest). In what everybody thought was to be a tough Semifinal round against the much-heralded George Brown of the U.S., Villanueva—despite fighting with cut brows—defeated the favorite with a 4-1 upset decision. Villanueva thus guaranteed himself a silver medal, thus fulfilling his fearless prediction of surpassing his father’s feat.

Of that very controversial Finals against Russia’s Stanislav Stepashkin held on Oct. 23, reporter Hal Drake of the U.S. paper ‘Stars and Stripes’ recounts: “He (Villanueva) was rated little chance in his bout with Stepashkin, who has shoulders like a medieval axman and a punch like a thrown brick. The Russian had easily disposed of every opponent.

At the bell, Villanueva rushed Stepashkin and reddened his nose with a beautiful series of stabbing rights. He hooked the right twice and made Stepashkin hold. He brought fans to their feet by staggering the Soviet boxer with a left to the head.

In the second round the two mixed it up in close, with hooks. In one flurry, the bandage came off Villanueva's eye in a smear of blood and the claret gushed from his nose. But that right was arcing over and still landing; Stepashkin was getting one, and sometimes more, for everyone he landed.

Villanueva's opponent must have been a hazy figure in a red blur during the final round, but he still met the Russian punch for punch. The blood covered all of Villanueva's face and streaked his opponent's arms after clinches. But the Russian finished that last round with his left eye cut, his right eye: half closed, his nose and one ear streaming blood. “

But when the judges’ scores were announced, the audience were in disbelief. The Italian judge Aniello, Khalife of Lebanon and Vuellaty of Tunisia scored it for the Russian while Maghraby of Egypt had it 59-58 for Villanueva and Nussgen of Germany saw it even at 59-all. A roar of protest went up when British referee R.H. Gittins raised Stepashkin's hand, with the 3-1-1 verdict.

Nat Fleischer, founder/editor of Ring Magazine said, “I have seen highway robbery before but not anything as bare-faced as this.”.  Peter Wilson of the London Daily News could only agree, called it “one of the worst decisions I have seen in the Olympics.” Jose “Peping” Cojuangco, who was at the ringside in Tokyo, recalled, “He won convincingly. The editor of Ring Magazine who was in front of us, was already congratulating us. But when the decision was announced, there was a howl.”

The crowd of 7,000 chanted Villanueva’s name to show their support for the big-hearted Filipino boxer who fought to the finish. It was said that fans jeered as the Soviet national anthem was played, while Villanueva shed tears.

Homecoming and silver linings

Nevertheless, Villanueva came home to a hero’s welcome—for achieving the highest-placed finish for a Filipino athlete in Philippine Olympic history. He was mobbed by people at his motorcade that crowded the Pasay-Manila-Quezon route. His school honored him with a Tamaraw Gold Medallion given by then Far Eastern University Vice-President Alfredo M. Reyes.

With his schoolboy looks, Villanueva was squired by movie producers, which he accepted on the prodding of his father. He starred in at least 5 action movies, including the boxing-inspired “Pamatay: Kaliwa't Kanan” (1964)  with Nida Blanca, for which he was paid a whopping Php 100,000. He also starred in “The Salonga Brothers” (1965) with Joseph Estrada, "Fighting Fists" (1971) with Roberto Gonzales, and "Ang Berdugo at ang Kamao." Later, his professional fees dwindled from between P2,000 to P7,000 per film.

Advertisers also sought out the acclaimed star major boxer, who signed up with two clients. 1966,Villanueva did an ad for La Tondeña Natural Rum. He also appeared in a Terylene fabric ad that was part of a campaign series featuring active men in heroic James Bond-like roles, attired in dashing, but durable Terylene suits.

As he lost his amateur status due to his lucrative acting career, Villanueva turned professional in 1965, debuting in a fund-raising event called “Fiesta Fistiana” at the Araneta Coliseum, matched against the Japanese, Shigeo Nirasawa. He would hang his boxing gloves after only 5 luster-less bouts, which ended in 1 win, 3 losses and 1 no-contest. His last fight was in 1975, against Australian Ross Eadie, which he lost via TKO.

Forsaken dreams, forgotten champion.

When his boxing and acting days were over, Villanueva became a boxing coach much like his father, until 1976, when he decided to go find his future in the U.S. By then, he was married with 2 kids, Avery (named after International Olympic Committee President Avery Brundage) and Agatha. There, he took on a variety of jobs—as a Mexican restaurant cook, and as a security guard at a Staten Island hospital and at the Philippine Consulate in New York. 

A 1988 coaching stint in the Philippines proved unproductive, so he returned to the U.S. after failing to find a stable job. He would father another son, Jose Giovanni with his  second wife in 1996. A short while later, Villanueva permanently come home to the Philippines to stay with his third partner Liezel Beldia  with whom he shares son Joey Rembrandt. They took up residence in Kamuning, Quezon City,

Beginning in 1999, he suffered a series of strokes that left him incapacitated. He had hoped to return to the U.S. to fix his citizenship papers and then set up a gym business. To help defray the cost of his hospitalization, he offered his Olympic Medal for sale for 1 million pesos. Bedridden, he died in his sleep, penniless and almost forgotten  on 13 May 2014, in Cabuyao, Laguna, at age 69. Manny Pacquiao hailed him as  "original Filipino boxing icon who should never be forgotten by the nation."

Anthony N. Villanueva lived to see himself inducted in the Philippines Sports Hall of Fame for bringing the first historic Olympic silver for the country. It would take Mansueto “Onyok” Velasco another 32 years to duplicate his silver medal feat at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics when he placed 2^nd behind Bulgarias' Daniel Petrov, in the light-flyweight division.

SOURCES:

“He vowed to break his father’s record, “ Sunday Times Magazine, 8 November, 1964,

“Golden reception for a silver medalist,” Sunday Times Magazine”, 15 November 1964, p. 28

Anthony N. Villanueva, wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anthony_Villanueva

Games of the XVIII Olympiad, Tokyo 1964 : the official report of the Organizing Committee, LA Digital Library, https://digital.la84.org/digital/collection/p17103coll8/id/27912/

Hal Drake, Frazier chases German for boxing gold, Stars and Stripes, Oct. 25, 1964 medal, https://www.stripes.com/news/1964-10-25/frazier-chases-german-for-boxing-gold-medal-1894367.html1

Joaquin Henson, “Villanueva selling Olympic Medal for 1 Million”, Philippine Star, 6 January 2000,  https://www.philstar.com/sports/2000/01/06/97733/villanueva-selling-olympic-medal-p1-million

Joaquin Henson, “Forgotten hero at death’s door”. The Philippine Star , 11 May 2014,https://www.philstar.com/sports/2014/05/11/1321865/forgotten-hero-deaths-door

Joaquin Henson, “Olympic hero interred today”, Philboxing.com, 18 May 2014, http://m.philboxing.com/news/story-95534.html

ABS-CBN, ‘Villanueva’s death puts spotlight on poor, retired athletes”, https://news.abs-cbn.com/sports/05/15/14/villanuevas-death-puts-spotlight-poor-retired-athletes

Movie Poster, “Sports Heroes Turned Movie Stars, Video 48, https://video48.blogspot.com/2007/02/sports-heroes-turned-movie-stars-1.html

Far Eastern University FB page, https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=987760150052219&id=100064547295619&set=a.631930875635150&locale=ko_KR

 Isa Munang Patalastas, blogspot. "Is That Who I think He Is?: Anthony Villanueva for La Tondena Rum and Terylene. isamunangpatalastas.blogspot.com

22. Hurdler-Hero: MIGUEL S. WHITE: Lone Philippine Medalist,1936 Berlin Olympics

The Olympic Games in Berlin unfolded in Germany from Aug. 1-16, 1936. “Hitler’s Olympics” was used by the Nazi leader as a stage to prove the supremacy of the Aryan race. But this quickly unraveled when sprint sensation Jesse Owens, won 4 gold medals in quick succession, and Cornelius Johnson and David Albritton achieved a 1-2 finish in the high jump—all black Americans. Add to this, the extraordinary Bronze achievement of a Filipino-black American MIGUEL S. WHITE in the 400 m. hurdles; modest it may seem, his win was a statement of defiance against racism, from a small country in the Far East.

Of his beginnings, little is known about the Philippines’ greatest hurdler, MIGUEL SOLANO WHITE (b. 9 Oct. 1909/d. 20 Aug. 1942). Born to a black American father and a mother from Legazpi, Albay, Miguel may have filial ties with the political Solanos of Camalig. He was also believed to have spent his growing up years in Sagmin town.

White’s earliest recorded participation in a major meet was at the 1930 Far East Games in Shanghai. He may have already been a Philippine Scout under the U.S. Army at this point, as the army is known for its excellent sports program that has produced many Filipino athletes of international calibre.  At age 23, White won a Bronze Medal in the 400 m. flat race.

White began specializing in the Hurdles event, doing both 110 m. and 400 m. hurdles. On 21 May 1932, the qualifying trials for a slot in the Philippine Olympic team were held, and he was one of those shortlisted to compete. But, of the only 8 spots available, only one was reserved for a track and field athlete, which went to high jumper Simeon Toribio. This did not deter White at all, continuing his  focus on training for the next best thing—the so-called Oriental Olympics—the 1934 Far East Games of Manila.

Under the tutelage of coach Pedro Ablan, he competed in the preliminary rounds held in early April 1934, against the country’s best hurdlers at that era: Constantino Alhambra, Eliseo Dumaliang, Filomeno Lagasca, Carlos Atud and Jesus Roa. White topped the heat and, along with Alhambra, made it to the Far East team.

In the 400 m. finals held in the second week of May, White proved his superiority by winning Gold, registering a blistering time of 53 seconds, outrunning his teammate Constantino Alhambra (Silver) and Masao Ichihara of Japan (Bronze). He extended his winning streak in a June 1935 dual athletic meet held at the Meiji Shrine in Japan when he won the 400 m. Hurdles, the only Filipino to win top honors in an individual event.

By the time the 1936 Philippine trials for the 1936 Olympics came around in April, White was at his peak. He came out as the fastest qualifier of the 400 m. Hurdles event, with a time of 53.8 seconds.

Miguel Solano White was one of 31-man contingent from the Philippines when the 1936 Berlin Olympics opened on 1 Aug. 1936 under the watchful eyes of Chancellor Adolph Hitler. Three days later, White was in the Olympic stadium for the heats of the 400 m. Hurdles. He heralded his presence when he topped his heat in a very fast 53.4 seconds, with American W. Schofield in 2nd. White advanced to the finals

In the finals, the next day—6 finalists reported to the field: two Americans, Glenn Hardin and Joseph Patterson, John Loaring (Canada), Sylvio de Magalhaes Padilha (Brazil), Christos Mantikas (Greece) and Miguel White (Philippines). At the sound of the starting gun, Patterson led the runners, with Hardin, Loaring and White in hot pursuit.

Hardin caught the fading Patterson in the stretch and won by 4 yards at 52.4 secs., with Loaring just a breath away at 52.7 secs., pipping White who came in 3^rd at 52.8 secs.—just .1 from a Silver medal. The unprecedented Bronze was just the 2^nd athletic medal for the Philippines, and the number still stands to this day.

White had another chance to win a medal the next day, August 6, as he was also entered in the shorter 110 m. Hurdles. Running in the last heat, White had a bad start and fell while negotiating the second to the last hurdle. He was painfully injured, and withdrew from the race. It really didn’t matter, as by then, White had made history, and was recognized as an outstanding Olympic performer—the only Filipino to bring home a medal for the Philippines.

White came home a hero, and when things settled, the self-effacing corporal resumed his military duties at Fort McKinley. Other than invitations to run in some tournaments in the country, White seemed to have hung up his running shoes after the 1936 Olympiad, as not much was heard about him until the outbreak of World War II in the Philippines.

It will be recalled that the Philippine Scouts played a crucial role in defending the country from the entry of the Japanese into the country. The young lieutenant was called to service to hold the fort during the first wave of the Japanese invasion of  the Philippines. White went missing in action, but was later ruled to have been killed in action on 20 Aug. 1942. Just like Teofilo Yldefonso, Miguel White was another one of our Olympians to become another tragic casualty of a war.  He was yet to turn 33. 

SOURCES:

Abdon M. Balde Jr. ,“AN ALBAYANO WON A MEDAL IN HITLER’S 1936 BERLIN OLYMPICS”.

David Wallechinsky, The Complete Book of the Olympics, “400-M. Hurdles”, Penguin Books, ©1988, p. 62

The Tribune Newspaper, various issues, 1932-1936: 30 May 1932 (Las Pruebas Olimpicas de Pista Mañana);  4 Apr. 1934 p.13: 16 June 1935, p.30 (“White Wins 400 M. Hurdles”); 21 Apr.1936, p. 7 (“Olympic Tryouts”; 4 Aug. 1936, p.1 “:White Placed 1^st in Heat”); 5 Aug. 1936, p. 6 (“Outstanding Olympic Performer”); 6 Aug. 1936,p. 6 (“White Painfully Injured”).

Graphic Magazine, 10 May 1934, 10th Far Eastern Games, pp. 28-36

Miguel S. White, Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Miguel_White

 Official Program of the 1936 Berlin Olympics, vol. 1, LA Digital Collection

16. By Leaps and Bounds: SIMEON G. TORIBIO, The 1932 L.A. Olympics Bronze Medalist

The King of Jumps, SIMEON G. TORIBIO was born on 3 Sept. 1905 in Bohol, the son of Luis Toribio and Epifania Galvez, who both originally were from Zamboanga. In his prime, he was hailed as “Asia’s Greatest Athlete”, dominating his events as the Far Eastern Games, winning a record Gold medals in 3 outings (1927,1930, 1934) of the international meet.

The highlight of his glorious athletic career was representing the country in 3 consecutive Olympiads –in the 1928 Amsterdam, 1932 Los Angeles and 1936 Berlin Olympics, reaching the Finals in all three, and bagging the High Jump Bronze in 1932. This was one of only 2 Bronzes won by a Filipino athlete in athletics (Miguel White claimed a Bronze in the 400 m. hurdles in 1936).

To think that as a child, Toribio was susceptible to all sorts of maladies like tuberculosis.Thin as a stick, he was advised by his school doctor to take up sports to improve his physical condition, so he learned swimming and joined his first athletic competitions as a youngster in Zamboanga.

When the Toribios relocated to Bohol, Toribio got into athletics only because he wanted to be exempted from mundane school duties at the Bohol Provincial High School, like weeding and cutting grass. He made it to the high school team, specializing in High Jump. He practiced by himself for the event by jumping over banana plants. The teen amazed everyone when he placed first in High Jump at the 1921 East Visayas Meet with a jump of 4 feet 9 inches.

A working student, Toribio became a daily laborer to augment his school expenses. In his sophomore year, however, he dropped out of school to become a barrio teacher in Zamboanga, But he returned to complete his studies and resume athletic training. After high school, Toribio was accepted at the Silliman University in Negros Oriental and enrolled in a science degree.

It was as a Silliman student when he entered his first national meet, the 1925 Philippine National Open Championship Meet where he established a new record. In 1926, he eclipsed the jump of 1925 Far Eastern champion Eliseo Razo, the first Filipino to jump over 6 feet.

To prove that this was no fluke, Toribio qualified for the Philippine team to compete in the 1927 Far Eastern Games in Shanghai. There, he established a meet and Philippine record of 6’3 15/16” (1.93 meters) to win Gold.

In 1928, the Filipino took a leap for glory when he set sail with the Philippine team for the Amsterdam Olympics. As part of the field of 35 jumpers,  the lanky six-footer had to clear the qualifying height of 1.83 meters, to be a finalist. Toribio did so with ease, along with 17 others. For the Finals, the remaining jumpers must clear: 1.70 m., 1.80 m., 184 m,1. 88 m., 1.91 m., 1.94 m., and so on.

American Robert Wade King cleared 1.94 meters, good for the Gold, and the fight for Silver and Bronze was tightly fought by 4 others: Americans Benjamin Hedges and Harold M. Osborn, Frenchman Claude Menard and Filipino Simeon Toribio. All cleared 1.91 meters and could proceed no more. But Hedges and Menard cleared the height in fewer tries; Toribio cleared 1.91 only on his 4^th attempt—which put him in medal-less 4^th place. Nevertheless, it was an amazing showing for Toribio, as he came so near to a podium finish.

After coming home to a hero’s welcome, Toribio was ready to tackle his busy schedule head on. There was still school to finish, and meets to attend to. Most of all, there was  the 1930 Far Eastern Games to train for. In Tokyo, he was the favorite to win, and Toribio did not disappoint—he leaped his lifetime best of 2.00 meters there , way ahead of 2 Japanese jumpers , and struck Gold again.

For that 1930 feat, he was awarded the Helms World Trophy given by the Helms Athletic Foundation starting in 1939, to honor the foremost athlete of each continent dating back to 1896. An additional accolade was the Jiji Shimpo Medal of Honor, given by one of the most influential newspapers of Japan, in recognition of his outstanding athletic achievements. In fact, that year, he earned the monicker, “Asia’s Greatest Athlete”.

That was once again proven at the 1932 Los Angeles Olympics when he finally won an Olympic Medal—a Bronze, in one of the most exciting finishes in the history of Olympic field events.  Only 2 Asian countries made it to the finals, Japan with 2 jumpers, and the Philippines, lone entry Simeon Toribio. The United States had 3, Canada had 2, and an entry each for Norway, Italy, Poland,  Switzerland, France and Finland.

Four of the finalists cleared the same top height that reached 1.97 meters—A Canadian, two Americans, and our very own Toribio. Had he jumped his personal best of 2 meters, he would have bagged the Gold instantly. The final placings were determined by a series of  jump-offs, so Toribio had a real chance to make history. 

With the jumps taking more than 4 hours, it was said that he took a bathroom break which disrupted the momentum of his next attempts. Toribio placed 3^rd—behind Canada’s Duncan McNaughton and U.S.A’s Robert Van Osdel.

In between Olympics, he continued his civil engineering course at the University of Southern California on a scholarship, having stayed behind after the L.A. games. While there,  he refined his jumping techniques under Dean Bartlett Cromwell, “maker of champions” and coach of the USC track team.

Upon completion of his studies, he returned to he Philippines in July 1933 and finally got married to his longtime sweetheart Maximiana Escobar, a Leyteña. He was also in time to train for the 1934 Far Eastern Games scheduled in Manila. There was no doubt about his 3^rd Gold, winning his event at just 1.93 m., far below his record.

Nevertheless,  this earned him another crack at an Olympic medal at the 1936 Berlin Olympics, where he marched at the stadium on the first day of August, as the Philippines’ standard bearer. That Olympics was significant because it disproved Adolph Hitler’s theories of Aryan superiority with the stunning victories of black American Jesse Owens’ 4 gold medal harvest in athletics.

But over at the high jump event, drama was unfolding. Toribio survived the cut by clearing 1.85 m. He got stuck at that height and finished 12^th of 22 finalists. The Gold went to Cornelius Johnson of the U.S. whom he had beaten in the last Olympics, and the Silver to David Albritton. Both were black Americans. Hitler left the stadium before their award ceremonies, this, after congratulating German and Finn winners of the first two events.

The 1936 Berlin Games would be Toribio’s last Olympics. By then, at age 31, he was ready to retire and get down to the more serious business of earning his keep and raising a family. He became a professor of Engineering at the Mapua Institute of Technology from 1934 until 1941—when the war came. He heeded the country’s call and after the fall of Bataan, he served in Lt. Edwin Ramsey’s 40,000 strong guerrilla force, which was given a responsibility for the East Central Luzon Guerrilla Area (ECLGA).

During the Japanese occupation, Toribio had a close call when Japanese police conducted random raids in homes to search for possible resistance fighters. When the military rounded up the Toribio brothers for questioning, a Japanese soldier recognized a framed award certificate presented by the Japanese emperor from the 1930 Far East Games in Tokyo, and photos of Toribio with Japanese athletes at the 1932 L.A. Olympics.. The Japanese police left the Toribio home without any incident.

After the war, Toribio ventured into politics, and ran successfully in 1946 as Representative of the 2^nd district of Bohol, and served 2 terms until 1953. He became Chairman of the Committee on Public Works and was awarded a Certificate of Merit by the Congressional Press Club.

In 1948 and 1952, he went to the U.S. to study public works methods and legislations. He authored many laws on public works, particularly those pertaining to schools, airports roads, and harbors. Toribio also developed a keen interest in agriculture and animal husbandry. As a professional, he was an esteemed member of the Philippine and American Engineering Societies,

Under the Liberal Party, he ran for Senator in 1955, along with Diosdado Macapagal, but was not elected, as the Nacionalistas swept all 8 seats. Nevertheless, this self-made man, described as “humble, gentle, never outspoken, doer of things—continued to “epitomize clean sports, the same way that he stood for clean, fair and honest government.”

Toribio, however, never forgot his athletic past, and was twice a delegate to the International Conference on Sports. He was elected first Vice President of the powerful  P.A.A.F. (Philippine Amateur Athletic Federation)  in 1954, as a recognition for his labors in partly planning and supervising the Rizal Memorial Stadium buildings, not to mention his notable contribution to the country’s prestige as an athlete. Likewise, he was singled out by the Philippine Sportswriters Association as the “Filipino Field Athlete of Half Century”.

Simeon Galvez Toribio, sports legend and Olympic high-jumper, was the first inductee of the Philippine Sports Hall of Fame in 2010. He passed away in his beloved Bohol on 5 June 1969, 3 months shy of his 64^th birthday.

SOURCES:

The Philippine Graphic, Far Eastern Games

1928, 1932, 1936 Official Olympic Reports, LA1984 Digital Collections

“Deportes”(Sports Section), The Tribune, 28 April 1933 issue

“Simeon Toribio Is Arriving Tomorrow”, The Tribune, 16 July, 1933, p. 34

“Best Bet in High Jump”, The Tribune, 16 May 1934, p.8

“Toribio Track Starter Today”, The Tribune, 27 Oct. 1934, p. 11

“Out of 49”, The Tribune, 23 July 1936

1955 Campaign Leaflet, Simeon G. Toribio, “The Only Engineer Candidate for Senator”.