Gathering of Eagles - SPORTING CHANCE By Joaquin M. Henson

There’s no truth to the rumor that to be inducted into the Ateneo Sports Hall of Fame, you must swear to hate anything associated with that school on Taft Avenue and wear only blue underwear.

Vic Sison, chairman of the Selection Committee for the 8th Ateneo Sports Hall of Fame Awards, laughs off the rumor as he explains that making it to the elite list is no joke.

About 40 were nominated to the Hall this year. Sison says the Committee (the other members are Johnny Romualdez, Dave Arcenas, Ricky Palou, Jimmy Alabanza, Joey Campos, Eric Ingles and Raul Buan) deliberated in six meetings for nearly two months before picking 20 inductees and three recipients of Special Awards.

Sison notes that the selection was far from arbitrary. The Committee agreed on strict guidelines for qualification then set up a points system to determine the finalists.

Sison says an inductee must be an Ateneo graduate or must have had two years of residence as a grade school, high school, university, or post-graduate student. The four categories in which a nominee could qualify as a Sports Hall of Famer are athlete, cheerleader, coach or trainer or athletic director and sports official. Special awards are given to those who honored Ateneo by their involvement in sports not as specified in the four categories (like broadcasters, journalists or sponsors).

Athletes should have played for Ateneo – exceptions are those who excelled in sports not in the school calendar (like Olympic shooter Chito Feliciano).

Inductees are enshrined every three years.

The points system is comprehensive. Points are assigned for participating in the Olympics (25), Asian Games (20), Southeast Asian Games (10), and Davis Cup (10), for playing on championship teams on the collegiate or post-collegiate levels, for winning medals in international competitions (an Asian Games gold is worth 35 points), for being named to inter-scholastic mythical selections, for playing in professional or semi-professional leagues, for recognition as Philippine Sportswriters Association or SCOOP awardees (20), for graduating with honors (5), for being captain of an Ateneo team (5), for selection as Ateneo Athlete of the Year (10), among others.

No bonus points are credited for playing on a team that beat La Salle, adds Sison – in jest, of course.

For a nominee to qualify as a Hall of Famer, he or she must garner at least 50 points and must have left or graduated at Ateneo at least 20 years ago.

Ateneo inducted its first batch of Hall of Famers in 1979. Among the pioneers were Ambrosio Padilla, Luis (Moro) Lorenzo, Arsenio Lacson, Baby Dalupan, and Chito Calvo.

I was surprised to find out that Calvo, who coached at La Salle, was an Atenean. Sison says Calvo attended grade school and high school at Ateneo then studied at UP Los Baños before coaching at La Salle.

Sison says among the Ateneans who spearheaded the launch of the Sports Hall of Fame were Albert Friedlander, Alfred Xeres-Burgos, Sr., Col. Mariano Yenko, Ed Ocampo, Louie Javellana, Lorenzo, and Charlie Nivera.

Through the years, several popular sports figures were inducted into the Hall of Fame – like Ocampo (1982), Ning Ramos (1982), Frankie Rabat (1982), basketball coach and athletic moderator Fr. James Reuter (1985), Feliciano (1988), Golem Silverio (1988), Lito Puyat (1988), Chito Afable (1994), Cris Arroyo (1994), Fr. Cipriano Unson (1994), softball coach Fr. James Donelan (1997), Felix Flores (1997), and Nilo Verona (1997).

The honorees also inducted cheerleaders Elpi Cuna (1988), Bert Avellana (1988), Raul Manglapus (1988), Totoy Javellana (1991), Jess Paredes (1994) and son Jesse (1997), and Dick Gordon (1997).

In 1994, Special Awards were given to Ernest Escaler, Danny Francisco, Friedlander, Victor Lim, Jr., Manny Pangilinan, and Col. Yenko. In 1997, Lorenzo received a Special Citation and Xeres-Burgos, Jun Bernardino, and Dick Ildefonso were given Special Awards.

This year, the inductees are Joy Cleofas, Fritz Gaston, Louie Gepuela, Frank Harn, Ando Hernaez, Mike Jalandoni, Tony Jose, Eddie Lagdameo, Tiny Literal, Chito Narvasa, Oskie Ocampo, Boogie Pamintuan, Tito Panlilio, Jimmy Pestano, Baby Boy Poblador, Tony Romualdez, Jun Ross, Marte Samson, Arben Santos, and Steve Watson. Special Awards will be given to Popit and Putch Puyat and Joe Cantada.

Although I’m a pure green-blooded La Sallian, I must confess that several of this year’s inductees are friends, like Ando, Chito, Tito, Jun, Fritz, Arben, and Steve. And several years ago, I enjoyed the honor and privilege of working with Smokin’ Joe on TV. I also knew Frank and condoled with his family when he passed away.

Sison, a 1982 Hall of Famer in three sports, says the induction will be held at the new Moro Lorenzo Sports Center next to the high school grounds at Loyola Heights on Dec. 8. The Center will be completed soon and features an indoor track, a gym, a sports library, and playing courts for basketball, volleyball, and tennis. The Center will also be the permanent home of the Sports Hall of Fame.

Ateneo has certainly made its mark in the history of Philippine sports. To the Blue Eagles and this year’s Hall of Fame inductees, congratulations from a La Salle diehard.