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| (Image Source: Philippine News Agency/PBA) |
Filipino sports enthusiasts may have honored, recognized and paid homage to the efforts and contributions of Manny V. Pangilinan, Ronald Mascarinas and Jean Henry Lhuiller to the growth and development of Philippine sports through the years as well as the foray of world-class homegrown athletes across different disciplines that we grew to love and support in their paths to pride and glory for the nation. But, in all honesty, these would not have been possible without the trubitastic impact of a devoted and passionate visionary by the name of Eduardo "Danding" Cojuangco.
Known as an inspiration for several business tycoons to help advance the cause of the local sports scene, Danding Cojuangco was best known and remembered for carrying the torch in the Philippines' long-coveted dream of regaining international basketball supremacy. As the project director for basketball appointed by the late Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos, he conceptualized and formed a team comprising of some of the best amateur players in the country which eventually led to the birth of Northern Cement named after his old construction materials firm Northern Consolidated Corporation.
Northern Cement became the "flag-carrier" of sorts in the turning point of Philippine basketball in the early 1980s drawing huge names such as Allan Caidic, Pido Jarencio, Samboy Lim, and Franz Pumaren among others as well as acquiring the services of "naturalized" Filipino-American players including Chip Engelland, Johnny Nash, Jeff Moore, Dennis Still and John Hegwood. Within those years, Danding brought in the prized tactician Ron Jacobs to steer the ship towards glory. The team would win the Asian Youth Championship crown in 1982 and its first Asian Basketball Confederation championship three years later. In 1986, the NCC-powered Philippine team qualified for the 1986 World Basketball Championships (now FIBA World Cup) in Madrid, Spain only to be withdrawn after the EDSA People Power Revolution and later scrapped.
But Cojuangco's patronage to Philippine basketball did not stop there. Since he regained his chairmanship of San Miguel Corporation after years in exile, Danding would further develop and push its corporate PBA team to a dynasty of sorts in Asia's first professional basketball league. It all started with the 1989 Grand Slam of the San Miguel Beermen which was composed of former Northern Cement players followed by San Miguel's All-Filipino Championship in 1994 leading to the businessman's renewed chance to control the reigns of the Philippine national team. With Ron Jacobs returning to assist Norman Black in coaching duties, the Beermen-RP team composed of reinforcements from other PBA teams and top amateur players at the time would take home the Bronze medal in the 1994 Hiroshima Asian Games.
Boss Danding's dedication of molding a championship-caliber squad became a major factor for the San Miguel franchise to attain 22 of 27 championships in the PBA, but the said dedication is also present in the collegiate basketball scene as a silent yet formidable main supporter of the De La Salle University (DLSU) Green Archers in the UAAP. Danding has inspired and encouraged the Archers in its 9 UAAP men's basketball championship titles and even becoming active in honing and building these championship squads at Seasons 76 and 79. Died last June 16 (Tuesday) at age 85 due to lung ailment, he will surely be missed in the Philippine sports scene and the local basketball community. However, Eduardo "Danding" Cojuangco will be remembered in every Filipino basketball star's hearts as not just a passionate individual in pursuit of excellence, but also as a rabid supporter of the Philippines' push to glory in the global basketball stage.
