by Henry L. Liao

He is not easy to forget, the multi-faceted homegrown Filipino athlete Edgardo (Ed) Ocampo?

In his prime, Ocampo was “Mr. Football” and “Mr. Basketball” rolled into one. That’s how versatile an athlete Ocampo was during the 1950s and 1960s.

In the historical book “Legends and Heroes of Philippine Basketball,” the 5-7 Ocampo was described as such:

“With his speedy hands and quick anticipation, Ed distinguished himself as the country’s ace defensive player during his time.  Ocampo’s guts, speed, stamina and quick anticipation on defense helped establish the Ateneo alumnus to basketball greatness.”

Ocampo not only distinguished himself in basketball.  He also made a name in Philippine football, which went by the name “soccer” during his time. Ed was honored “Mr. Football” in 1955 when he was barely 17 years old. Five years later, he was voted “Mr. Basketball.”

Both awards were handed to Ocampo by the tradition-steeped Philippine Sportswriters Association (PSA).

Ocampo’s love affair with soccer and basketball started during his grade-school days at the Ateneo de Manila.

Denied of a berth on the Ateneo Archdiocesan Athletic League midget basketball team because he was “too short,” the Pampanga-born Ocampo honed his craft in soccer.

He turned out to be an outstanding athlete in the sport so much so he was named to the Philippine national eleven that saw action in the Asian Cup in 1956, touring countries such as South Korea, Italy, Spain and France.

That same year, Ocampo broke his collarbone during a physical soccer contest and doctors advised him not to engage in any sports for half a year.

Less than six months later, though, Ocampo managed to get back into action, trying out with Ateneo’s seniors team in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). Ocampo made the grade after several Blue Eagles dropped out of the team.

He debuted with the Blue Eagles in the second round of the 1957 NCAA wars.

Although a bit short at guard, Ocampo overcame his height disadvantage with his stamina, speed, power, quick reflexes and tenacious defensive skills. Ed helped the Blue Eagles to back-to-back men’s NCAA basketball titles in 1957 and 1958.

Following his graduation from Ateneo in 1959, Ocampo played basketball with the fabled Yco Redshirts/Painters franchise in the old Manila Industrial and Commercial Athletic Association (MICAA) and other top commercial leagues.

He was a major factor in Yco’s MICAA championship conquest of Ysmael Steel, the Painters’ arch nemesis, in 1960, having held the Admirals’ high-scoring forward Narciso Bernardo to just nine points in a crucial game.

That same year, the PSA voted him “Mr. Basketball.”

Internationally, Ocampo suited up for the Philippines national squad that ranked eighth during the 1959 World Basketball Championship (now known as the FIBA World Cup) in Chile.

Additionally, the defense-minded Ocampo was a three-time Olympian.  He donned the national colors during the prestigious Summer Games in Rome 91960), Mexico (1968) and Munich (1972).

Note that Ocampo also saw action in the 1964 pre-Olympic qualifying tournament in Yokohama, Japan but the Philippines landed just sixth among 10 participants, with only four to qualify for the subsequent regular Tokyo Olympics.

The Filipinos thus failed to earn an Olympic slot.  But there’s an interesting – if not sad – story to this debacle.

As the reigning Asian titlists, having beaten host Republic of China (now Taiwan), 91-77, in the tournament finals of the 1963 Asian Basketball Confederation (ABC) which served as the Olympic qualifier, the Philippines would have automatically advanced to the Olympic Games the following year.

(Note that the members of the star-studded 1963 Philippine Nats were composed of team skipper Carlos (Caloy) Loyzaga, Narciso (Ciso) Bernardo, Alfonso Marquez, Engracio (Boy) Arazas, Geronimo Cruz, Manuel Jocson, Renato (Sonny) Reyes, Eduardo (Eddie Pacheco), Alberto (Big Boy) Reynoso, Edgardo (Ed) Roque, Elias (Ely) Tolentino Jr. and Ocampo himself.)

Unfortunately, the International Basketball Federation (FIBA) unceremoniously stripped the Basketball Association of the Philippines (BAP), the country’s national basketball federation at the time, of that incentive.  It was part of a stiff punishment meted against the Philippines for its failure to host the World Basketball Championship in Manila in 1962.

The WBC was aborted after the administration of then-Philippine president Diosdado Macapagal refused to allow players from Yugoslavia (then a communist country) to step on home soil.

At the Asian level, Ocampo also played for the national quintet during the 1966 Bangkok Asian Games (sixth place) and in three other ABC tournaments  aside from 1963 Taipei – 1960 Manila (Philippines – gold), 1965 Kuala Lumpur (Malaya, now known as Malaysia – silver) and 1967 (Seoul, South Korea – gold).

That 1967 ABC tournament hosted by the Sokors was a defining moment for Ocampo as a tough hombre on the defensive end as he made life hard for one of Asia’s all-time best shooters in South Korean great Shin Dong Pa with his leech-like guarding in helping guide the Nats to an 83-80 triumph over the host country in the finals.

After hanging up his jersey, Ocampo went into coaching in the old MICAA and in the professional league Philippine Basketball Association (PBA).

He won three titles with the Yco Painters, including one in the MICAA in 1976, and four more in the PBA – one with Royal Tru-Orange (the predecessor of San Miguel Beer) in the 1979 Open and three  with Toyota in the 1981 and 1982 Open and 1982 Reinforced.

Ocampo, who endeared himself to hoop fans for his sportsmanship, passed away in 1992 at age 59.