In local sports, the date April 9 also is special to hoops fans. A momentous occasion moment it was forty-six years ago on that day for it marked the birth of professional basketball in the Philippines.
In this piece, we pay homage to the Philippine team that bagged the gold medal in the 1967 ABC tournament in Seoul Korea.
With most of his basketball contemporaries gone, Billy Abarientos or “Haba-Haba” looked with fondness a career which started during his elementary days at the Marulas Elementary School.
![Caloy owned a 58-14 record in 10 global competitions. [Henry Liao photo]](https://sportsbytes.com.ph/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/146150589_3685379861583295_7043500414210937829_n-400x200.jpg)
He was big. He was great. He was a game changer. Rolled into one, he was Carlos Loyzaga, the greatest athlete in Philippine basketball history.
![The 1954 Nationals that won the bronze medal in the 1954 World tournament. [Henry Liao photo]](https://sportsbytes.com.ph/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/144950691_774393143285027_3026363166572188338_n-400x200.jpg)
A dozen countries were in attendance in the 1954 edition – seven from the Americas, three from Europe and two from Asia, the Philippines and Formosa (Taiwan/now known as Chinese-Taipei).
You must be logged in to post a comment.