Carlos Loyzaga facts for kids
Loyzaga as basketball player
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| No. 14, 41 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Center | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Personal information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | August 29, 1930 San Jose, Mindoro, Philippine Islands |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Nationality | Filipino | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Died | January 27, 2016 (aged 85) San Juan, Metro Manila, Philippines |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Listed height | 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Listed weight | 82 kg (181 lb) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Career information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| College | San Beda College | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Pro career | 1951–1964 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Career history | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1954–1964 | YCO Painters (MICAA) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Career highlights and awards | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
As player:
As coach:
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Medals
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Carlos "Caloy" Loyzaga (born August 29, 1930, died January 27, 2016) was a famous Filipino basketball player and coach. Many people think he was the greatest Filipino basketball player ever. He was known for being very strong and skilled on the court.
Loyzaga played for the Philippine national team in the Olympics twice. He competed in the 1952 and 1956 Summer Olympics. He also led the Philippines to a bronze medal in the 1954 FIBA World Championship. This was the best finish ever for an Asian country in that tournament.
Contents
Early Life & Basketball Start
Carlos Loyzaga was born in San Jose, Mindoro, on August 29, 1930. He was the fourth child of Joaquín Loyzaga Sr. and Carmen Matute. His father was also a great athlete, playing for the Philippine national football team.
Caloy learned to play basketball in his neighborhood in Santa Mesa, Manila. A famous coach named Gabby Fajardo saw him play. Fajardo saw how talented Caloy was and offered to train him. In 1949, Loyzaga joined Fajardo's junior team, PRATRA. They won the junior championship that year.
College Basketball Success
Loyzaga wanted to play college basketball. He almost joined Letran or the University of Santo Tomas. But in the end, he decided to play for the San Beda Red Lions. Their coach, Fely Fajardo (Gabby's older brother), convinced him.
Loyzaga helped the San Beda Red Lions win many games. In the 1950s, San Beda had a big rivalry with the Ateneo Blue Eagles. Loyzaga helped San Beda win the Zamora Trophy. This trophy was given to the team that won three NCAA championships. San Beda won in 1951, 1952, and 1955. Because of his amazing skills, Loyzaga earned the nickname "The Big Difference."
Playing for the YCO Painters
In 1954, Loyzaga joined the famous YCO Painters team. Before that, he had helped his previous teams win national championships. With the YCO Painters, he was part of an incredible winning streak. They won 49 games in a row from 1954 to 1956.
The YCO Painters also won many MICAA titles. They won ten straight National Open titles with Loyzaga. After he stopped playing in 1964, Loyzaga became the head coach for the YCO Painters.
Philippine National Team Highlights
Loyzaga was a key player for the Philippines men's national basketball team. He helped the Philippines become one of the best basketball teams in the world at that time.
Here are some of his biggest achievements with the national team:
- He won four gold medals in a row at the Asian Games (1951, 1954, 1958, 1962).
- He won two gold medals in a row at the FIBA Asia Championship (1960, 1963).
- His greatest moment was at the 1954 FIBA World Championship. He led the Philippines to a bronze medal. This was a huge achievement, and the Philippines is still the only Asian country to win a medal in this tournament. Loyzaga was one of the top scorers in the tournament. He was also named to the tournament's All-Star team.
Coaching Career
After his playing career, Loyzaga became a successful coach. He started as a player-coach for YCO in the early 1960s. After retiring as a player in 1964, he became the full-time head coach for YCO.
He also coached other teams, like the Manila Bank Golden Bankers. In college basketball, he coached the UST Glowing Goldies in the UAAP. In 1967, he coached the Philippine men's basketball team to win the 1967 ABC Championship (now called the FIBA Asia Championship). He also coached professional teams like U/Tex and Tanduay in the Philippine Basketball Association.
Personal Life
Carlos Loyzaga was married to Vicky Cuerva. They had several children, many of whom also became famous. His sons, Chito and Joey, became basketball players. His daughters, Bing and Teresa, became actresses. He was also the grandfather of Diego Loyzaga.
Carlos Loyzaga passed away on January 27, 2016. He had been dealing with health issues before his death. To honor his legacy, San Beda College officially retired his #14 jersey. This happened during the opening of the NCAA Season 92 basketball tournament in 2016.
Achievements & Honors
|
As a Player: NCAA (College Basketball)
MICAA (Amateur League)
|
Philippine National Team
|
As a Coach:
|
Honors:
- Philippine National Basketball Hall of Fame (1999)
- Philippine Sportswriters Association Athletes of the 20th Century award (2000)
- Philippine Olympic Committee Presidential Olympism Award (2016)
See also
In Spanish: Carlos Loyzaga para niños
