To be known as the M.L. Escaler Wing: Nest of the Sports Hall of Fame Blue Eagles, the landmark is situated at the Moro Lorenzo Sports Center in Loyola Heights where it houses the portraits and memorabilia of Ateneo’s finest athletes.
"The Hall of Fame Museum was put up due to two reasons. One, to give due recognition to athletes 20 years after competing for Ateneo and the country. And two, to give concrete and physical motivation for kids to strive and work hard," said Victor Sison, chairman of the Ateneo Sports Hall of Fame Committee of the Ateneo Alumni Association.
Committee member Tito Panlilio, better known these days as among the major candidates for the commissionership of the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA), also guested with Sison in yesterday’s PSA Forum at the Holiday Inn hotel.
Himself an Ateneo Hall of Famer, Panlilio stressed the completion of the museum is the culmination of the Hall of Fame’s dream to have its own establishment 24 years after it was founded in 1978.
So far a total of 113 athletes, coaches and sports officials comprise the Hall, a virtual who’s who in Philippine sports.
Its notable members include the late Luis ‘Moro’ Lorenzo, former Sen. Ambrosio Padilla, four-time Olympian Edgardo Ocampo, Dionisio ‘Chito’ Calvo, Primitivo Martinez, Virgilio ‘Baby’ Dalupan, Gonzalo ‘Lito’ Puyat, Quintellano Literal, Francisco Rabat, Chito Narvasa, among others.
The Hall likewise features the portraits of another 12 individuals who have been given Special Awards for their outstanding contributions that have helped Ateneo athletes and teams in one way or another and Philippines sports in general.
The elite group is comprised of Emilio ‘Jun’ Bernardino, Ernest Escaler, Daniel Francisco, Ricardo Ildefonso, Victor Lim Jr., Manuel Pangilinan, Aristeo ‘Putch’ Puyat, Jose ‘Popit’ Puyat Jr., the late Joe Cantada, Brig. Gen. Albert Friedlander, Col. Mariano Yenko and Alfred Xerez-Burgos Jr.