It was a fitting tribute to the late Carlos Loyzaga and POC president Jose Cojuangco, Jr. conceived the idea of honoring the Big Difference at the PSA Awards Night in One Esplanade last Saturday.
Cojuangco told POC first vice president Joey Romasanta to think of a way of paying a farewell tribute to Loyzaga shortly after his death last Jan. 27. Romasanta suggested to present a Presidential Olympism Award, an unprecedented honor, during the PSA Awards Night since the country’s outstanding athletes and sports officials would attend the annual affair. Besides, what better occasion to salute Loyzaga than an event organized by the PSA?
The POC handed out Olympism awards in 2003 but none since. The Olympism awards were never of a “Presidential” nature so the recognition for Loyzaga was a first.
Romasanta asked PSA president Rey Mallari if the Loyzaga tribute could be part of the PSA Awards Night program. No problem, said Mallari. It was the first time the POC or any other organization had a designated segment in the PSA Awards Night program so that, too, was unprecedented. How appropriate that these firsts involved the greatest Filipino basketball player ever.
Loyzaga’s widow Vicky and children Chito, Joey, Teresa and Bing attended the Awards Night and were all called up on stage to receive the Presidential Olympism plaque. A source said the POC would give a P500,000 check to the family. The source added that Cojuangco himself would tap benefactors to contribute to the amount.
The plaque was signed by Cojuangco, Philippine representative to the IOC Mikee Cojuangco-Jaworski and IOC honorary member Francisco Elizalde, all of whom were present last Saturday. Mikee read what was inscribed on the plaque before it was presented to the Loyzaga family.
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The text in the plaque started off with a definition of Olympism which is “a philosophy of life, exalting and combining in a balanced whole the qualities of body, will and mind … blending sport with culture and education, Olympism seeks to create a way of life based on the joy of effort, the educational value of good example, social responsibility and respect for universal fundamental ethical principles.”
The POC cited Loyzaga as “an outstanding Filipino athlete and patriot who exemplified the values of sportsmanship, hard work and devotion to duty … the man who moved mountains, put the Philippines on the world basketball map, brought honor to the flag and made every Filipino proud.”
Here’s the balance of the text: “No other Filipino has been named one of the world’s top 10 basketball players. In 1954, Mr. Loyzaga was cited as a Mythical All-Star world’s top 10 player in a poll of 43 international sportswriters after leading the Philippines to third place at the FIBA World Championships in Rio de Janeiro. It was the highest finish ever by an Asian country in the 65-year history of the FIBA World Championships.
“Mr. Loyzaga represented the Philippines on 12 national teams. He starred on the Philippine squads that won four Asian Games gold medals in 1951, 1954, 1958 and 1962 and three FIBA Asia championships in 1960, 1963 and 1967. With the fabled YCO Painters, Mr. Loyzaga anchored the team that captured seven straight national titles and five MICAA crowns. As a collegiate player, he led San Beda College to NCAA senior’s titles in 1951, 1952 and 1955.
“Twice, Mr. Loyzaga proudly wore the Philippine colors at the Olympics in Helsinki in 1952 and in Melbourne in 1956. He was a pillar of strength for the country. At the height of his career, Loyzaga was hailed as a superstar not only in Asia but also all over the world.
“Beyond his basketball exploits, Mr. Loyzaga is recognized by the Philippine Olympic Committee as an exemplary human being who lived the Olympic values of friendship, respect and excellence.” Loyzaga is now in the record books as the first-ever and only recipient so far of the POC Presidential Olympism Award.
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Golfer Miguel Tabuena, one of three PSA Co-Athletes of the Year for 2015, is in line for a ticket to the Rio Olympics. He’s now ranked No. 46 in the Olympic standings issued by the International Golf Federation. Another Filipino, Angelo Que, is listed No. 51.
The Olympics will bring in 60 men and 60 women to compete for two gold medals in each category. The top 15 in the men and women rankings will automatically qualify but with a limit of four for each country. The remaining slots will be filled by the others in the top 60 ladder with a maximum of two per country without two or more players in the top 15. The cut-off in the reckoning is July 11.
No Filipina is ranked among the top 60 in the women’s category but Jennifer Rosales could make it to Rio as a replacement because of the limit for each country. She’s listed as a second replacement for at least 15 slots, a third replacement for at least two, a fourth replacement for at least four and a fifth replacement for at least five. In the men’s side, Tony Lascuña is in the roster of replacements for either Tabuena or Que.
Tabuena, 21, was a silver medalist at the 2010 Asian Games and has been a pro since 2011. At the recent Singapore Open, he finished in joint fourth, only three strokes off the pace and two behind runner-up Jordan Spieth who happens to be No. 1 in the Olympic standings. Tabuena shot rounds of 69-67-71-68 to take home the equivalent of P2.15 Million in prize money.