OPISYAL na iniluklok si Filipino basketball legend Carlos “Caloy” Loyzaga sa FIBA Hall of Fame noong Miyerkoles.
Sa isang seremonya na idinaos sa Manila, sina Loyzaga at Zurab Sakandelidze ng Georgia ay kinilala ‘posthumously’.
Kabilang sa 2023 class sina Yao Ming ng China, Penny Taylor ng Australia, Yuko Oga ng Japan, Katrina McClain ng United States, Amaya Valdemoro ng Spain, Wlamir Marques ng Brazil, Ângelo Monteiro dos Santos Victorian ng Angola, at Sonny Hendrawan ng Indonesia.
Tinanggap ng mga anak ni Loyzaga na sina Chito, Joey, at Bing ang award para sa late basketball great.
“With this honor, experiencing this just proves to me he’s not just a great dad, but he’s the Philippines’ greatest basketball player. I’m very proud of him and I really wish he was still here to see this,” wika ni Bing.
Sinabi naman ni Chito na, “My father used to say it doesn’t matter what name is written on the back of your jersey, what matters is the flag you represent on its front. May Carlos Loyzaga’s love for basketball and love for our country the Philippines continue to inspire athletes of today and those in generations to come.”
Kilala bilang “The Big Difference,” ang San Beda basketball legend ay inilagay ang Pilipinas sa global basketball stage nang pangunahan niya ang bansa sa 1954 FIBA World Championship kung saan pumangatlo ang nationals, ang pinakamataas na pagtatapos ng isang Asian team sa global conclave.
Si Loyzaga ay isa ring two-time Olympian (1952 at 1956) at pinangunahan ang Pilipinas sa apat na gold medals sa Asian Games noong 1951, 1954, 1958, at 1962.
