Far Eastern Games: The Filipino pioneer greats

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The Philippines' Vicente Avena and Mariano Sangle (second from left) positon themselves for a rebound following a free- throw attempt by a Chinese player during the 1923 Far Eastern Games in Osaka, Japan. The Filipinos regained the FEG gold against the Chinese. — The Philippines’ Vicente Avena and Mariano Sangle (second from left) positon themselves for a rebound following a free- throw attempt by a Chinese player during the 1923 Far Eastern Games in Osaka, Japan. The Filipinos regained the FEG gold against the Chinese.

by Henry L. Liao

The Far Eastern Games was the harbinger of the Asian Games, albeit on a smaller scale.

It was a biennial meet among the Philippines, Japan, and the Republic of China, then known as Formosa and later Taiwan.

In 10 editions of the Far Eastern Games, the Filipinos romped away with the men’s basketball title on nine occasions. The only time the crown slipped from their hands was in 1921 when China emerged victorious in Shanghai.

The Philippines triumphed in 1913, 1915, 1917, 1919, 1923, 1925, 1927, 1930 and 1934.

The players at the time were the pioneer heroes of Philippine basketball.

One would easily point out the scoring feat of Luis (Lou) Salvador on the international stage. The prodigious Salvador, who reportedly sired 58 children and was known as the “Master Showman” after joining the entertainment business when his basketball career was over, scored a mind-boggling 116 points in the gold medal game against China in the 1923 FEG.

During a 40-minute game, where the 30-second shot clock (to be reset to 24 seconds several decades later) was still an afterthought, the well-conditioned lighted scoreboard just about from everywhere. Remarkably, most of his shots came from midcourt.

It was sweet revenge for the Filipinos. Two years earlier in 1921, the Nats fell, 30-27, to host China in the finals. The Leyte-born Salvador, at the tender age of 17, made his debut with the Philippine quintet that year.

Salvador, who also suited up for the national colors during the 1925 FEG in Manila, claimed to have practiced daily with a medicine ball for a year before his eye-popping 116-point feat, was a prominent star even in the local scene.

Salvador helped guide the Jose Rizal College Heavy Bombers to the National Championship in 1924 and turned in the same trick eight years later with the Meralco club. Subsequently helped organize and played for the famed Yco Painters in the commercial league.

Of course, other players stood out during the Far Eastern Games. The list includes Jovito Gonzales (who played for the Nats in the first six editions), Vicente Avena (a 5-foot-11 Jose Rizal College product who also played volleyball for the Nats during the 1919 FEG), Mariano Filomeno Augusto (Totoy” Bautista (five gold medals in five FEG stints from 1923-34), Franco Marquicias, Jacinto Ciria Cruz (a UST product who was monikered “Jumping Jack”), multi-positioned Primitivo (Tibing) Martinez, who also played soccer, track and field and baseball for Ateneo during his heyday), Herminio Silva (1934 FEG) and Ambrosio Padilla (1930 FEG, an Olympian who later became a Senator). Padilla skippered the PH team that placed fifth in the 1936 Olympics in Berlin. Among his teammates were Ciria Cruz, Martinez, and Marquicias.

Then and all, when everything has been said, memories of the Philippines’ participation in the Far Eastern Games are best remembered for Salvador’s 116-point offensive wizardry.
Salvador arguably was the GOAT of the Far Eastern Games.

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Henry Liao

Columnist at Sports Bytes PH

Henry has been into NBA chronicling since 1968 during his younger days at Xavier. He spent his grade school and high school years (1962-72) at Xavier School and then attended De La Salle Taft in college.

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Far Eastern Games: The Filipino pioneer greats

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