NEWSFLASH

PBA: REALTORS IN ROUSING DEBUT; "CHARLIE" BADION, BASKETBALL ICON DEAD AT 66

Ynares Sports Center, June 22, 2002 (STAR) By Nelson Beltran - Sta. Lucia Realty saved its best for last, coming up with a strong finishing kick to whip Governors Cup titlist Purefoods, 90-75, in their debut in the Samsung PBA Commissioner’s Cup at the Ynares Sports Center last night.

The Realtors blew hot and cold three-fourth of the way but went in full throttle at the finish, stunning the Hotdogs with a closing 27-4 run.

Imports Willie Farley and Stephen Howard and local players Marlou Aquino and Noynoy Falcasantos teamed up in that vicious assault that overturned the team’s eight-point deficit at the outset of the payoff quarter.

Farley played true to form as the Australian league veteran erupted for a game-high 31 points that went with five assists, four rebounds and two steals against three turnovers. Howard, a former Utah Jazz who led San Miguel to the 2000 Commissioner’s Cup championships, marked his return in the local pro league with 16 points and 14 rebounds.

But it was not an all-import show for Sta. Lucia, with Aquino and Falcasantos rising to the occasion in the fourth quarter, contributing 11 in their lethal assault. Returning to the Sta. Lucia camp after a stint with the RP training team in the first conference, Aquino quickly made an impact, churning in 12 points, five rebounds and two assists.

"It’s a new conference and we have practically a new team. Marlou is back and we’ve got two good imports, I expect to have a good conference," said Sta. Lucia coach Norman Black.

"Our initial goal is to make the Top Four. The key is to play good defense. We have two 6-foot-9 players (Aquino and Howard) and we have to make good use of that," Black added.

Aquino and Howard imposed their strength underneath, thus sending Kelvin Price and Kerby Raymundo into early foul trouble.

Barangay Ginebra fought back from a 10-point deficit at the start of the fourth quarter to fashion an 85-81 win over RP-Selecta in the second game.

Badion, basketball icon, passes away The Philippine Star 06/22/2002

Carlos "Charlie" Badion, the sturdy youth from Tondo whose rugged ways have made him popular and controversial and earned him the monicker " "Bad Boy" of Philippine basketball, passed away late Thursday of heart attack. He was 66.

Badion, who donned the national colors in the 1956 Melbourne Games, the 1959 World championship in Chile and the 1960 Rome Olympics, was dead on arrival at the Mary Johnston’s Hospital where he was rushed after complaining of chest pain and difficulty in breathing.

The 5-foot-11 Badion has lost much of his bulk and weight which were his trademark in the glory years of his career due to poor health. He was particularly unstoppable with a unique offensive move known as the " bicycle drive".

Badion was a vital cog of the national team which finished seventh in a 15-nation cast in the Melbourne Games in 1956, playing alongside Carlos Loyzaga, Antonio Genato, Ramon Campos, Jr., Ramon Manulat, Martin Urra and Mariano Tolentino.

Then he became part of the starting unit of the national team which won the gold medal in the 1958 Asian Games in Tokyo and a mainstay of the team which won the inaugural staging of the Asian basketball championship in 1960 in Manila together with Loyzaga, Kurt Bachmann, Carbonell and Eduardo Lim. In fact, he was named to the all-star team with Loyzaga at the close of the tournament.

But Badion’s career was cut short when he injured a knee in the Philippines’ first round game against Uruguay in the 1960 Rome Olympics.

On the local turf, he was an original member of the Crispa team in the BAA and the multi-titled Yco in the Manila Industrial Commercial Athletic Association (MICAA) league.

Badion went into a number of business ventures upon retirement from basketball and was customs coordinator for Elizalde and Co. He began coaching in 1975, piloting Mapua to an NCAA championship and the UST women’s cage team to the UAAP title. He also handled the UST Glowing Goldies in the UAAP and the Army Jungle Fighters in the Philippine Basketball League.

He was also one of the Filipino athletes honored and given incentives by President Arroyo in elaborate rites two weeks ago. Badion’s rugged style and tough image had made him a controversial player and an enforcer in the late 1950s when Philippine basketball was in full bloom.

His body lies in state at the Funeraria Paz. He is survived by his wife Lolita and childrenHarry, Marivic and Carlo Darren. Interment is tentatively set Wednesday.