PHILIPPINE basketball’s living link to its grolious past, the legendary Antonio ‘Tony’ Genato, passed away on Wednesday morning.
He was 94.
Genato was the last surviving member of the Philippine team that bagged the bronze medal in the 1954 FIBA World Cup, which until today remains as the highest finish by any Asian country in the quadrennial showcase.
He was also a two-time Olympian, who represented the country in the 1952 (Helsinki) and 1956 (Melbourne) Games.
READ Genato jersey retired at Bahay Alamat
A product of San Beda both in high school and college, Genato played three years for the Red Lions in the NCAA. He later joined the fable YCO franchise in the defunct Manila Industrial and Commercial Athletic Association (MICAA).
He retired from playing in 1959 at the age of 30.
In 1977, Genato returned to basketball briefly as coach of the Presto franchise in the PBA.
But the stint lasted for only two months in which he led the team to a 3-4 record in the First Conference, eventually leading to his firing by the CFC Corp. management.
Thirteen years ago, Genato and the rest of the 1954 Philippine team were inducted as part of the first batch of honorees in the Philippine Sports Hall of Fame.
More than a decade later, his Philippine team jersey No. 13 was officially raised to the rafters of the Bahay Alamat in Valenzuela City, where a marker honoring him was also unveiled.
The event was initiated by Valenzuela City 2nd District Rep. Eric Martinez.
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