By REYNALD MAGALLON
Filipino basketball legend Carlos “Caloy” Loyzaga is set to be inducted to the FIBA Hall of Fame after making it to this year’s legendary class that also includes Chinese great Yao Ming, the world federation announced on Friday, June 2.
The most decorated Filipino player of his time and perhaps, even the greatest of all time, Loyzaga will be formally enshrined to the prestigious Hall of Fame in a ceremony set on Aug. 23 in Manila ahead of the 2023 FIBA World Cup which the country will be co-hosting with Indonesia and Japan.
The late Loyzaga was at the forefront of the Philippines golden age of basketball highlighted by the country’s third place finish in the then FIBA World Championships in Rio de Janeiro in 1954, which to this day, remains to be the highest place the country achieved in the global meet.
Aside from that bronze, Loyzaga also bannered the Philippine team that dominated the Asian region in basketball, copping gold medals in the Asian Games in 1951, 1954, 1958 and 1962 and in Asian Basketball Confederation Championship in 1960 and 1963.
Yao, on the other hand, was the face of Chinese basketball in the recent decade and easily became the most recognizable Chinese player in the world due to his feats in the NBA and in FIBA tournaments.
Amaya Valdemoro (Spain) Yuko Oga (Japan) Penny Taylor (Australia )Katrina McClain (USA) Wlamir Marques (Brazil) Liem Tjien Siong / Sonny Hendrawan (Indonesia) Angelo Monteiro dos Santos Victoriano (Angola) and Zurab Sakandelidze (Georgia) are the other players to be inducted to the Hall of Fame.
Coaches Valerie Garnier (France) and Alessandro Gamba (Italy) complete this year’s class.
