Remembering Alfonso 'Boy' Marquez (+) on his birthday ( Mar 29 )

Remembering Alfonso “Boy” Marquez (+) on his birthday ( Mar 29 )
Eternal repose grant unto x, o Lord.

Source : Sports Weekly Magazine/Scoreboard (PBA Archives Collections)

2-time ABC gold medalist
University of Visayas Green Lancer
Mariwasa-Honda forward

Like an astronaut, Alfonso 'Boy' Marquez' climb to bigtime basketball was meteoric, making his first national team within a period of eight months. It took him to court his wife, the former Aurora Fernandez, one year but making the RP team for the world amateur championships in 1958 in Chile was even shorter. Boy considers the 1958 season his most memorable. He joined the Ysmael Steel Admirals in March, made the national team that finished eighth in Chile in October and was voted 'Mr. Basketball' by the Philippine Sportswriters Association in December. Everything happened so quickly. 1 was just fresh from the province; then suddenly I was in bigtime.' Boy recalls. He was then 20. For the next 15 years he was on top of local cagedom's star gallery. Locally and internationally, his record was impressive. Marquez was in three Olympics 1960 in Rome; 1964 in Tokyo; and 1968 in Mexico; Third Asian Basketball Confederation: 1960 in Manila; 1963 in Taipei; and 1965 in Kuala Lumpur: and two Asian Games: 1962 in Jakarta and 1966 in Bangkok. He was the star guard of the Admirals from 1958 until Ysmael was disbanded 10 years later. He was in the Admirals' first team as a guard with Eddie Roque; forwards Narciso Bernardo and Gerry Cruz; and center Cristobal Ramas. When Mariwasa was formed in 1968 and entered the MICAA, he transferred to that team along with Admiral teammates Bernardo, Joaquin Rojas, Agapito Rogado and Felix Flores. Blending beautifully with Americans Billy Robinson and Lloyd Moffat, Mariwasa won the MICAA title in its maiden year. In 1971, when Meralco was formed with Mumar, his mentor at Mariwasa as coach, Marquez became a Reddie. He was just lucky for Meralco won the MICAA crown that year.  The following year, he joined Concepcion Industries and helped the Motorolas cop the national invitational championship. In 1974, Concepcion figured in the MICAA finals with the Toyota Comets but lost. He injured his right knee in a collision with Robert Jaworski and he announced his retirement after 15 years of playing. He was appointed coach of Squibb in the MICAA and then transferred to his former team, Mariwasa as assistant coach to owner Emerson Coseteng. Boy begun his basketball career in 1949 at the Ateneo de Zamboanga. From 1953 up to 1956, he was a member of that team that dominated basketball in that region. In 1955, Marquez was the sparkplug of the Ateneo de Zamboanga that won the national inter-secondary championship in Manila and he went back home with the MVP award. In 1956, he went to Cebu and enrolled at the University of the Visayas and helped the Green Lancers dominate the Cebu Collegiate AA tournament from 1956 to 1958. UV, after losing the national inter-collegiate championship to Ateneo in 1956, came back with vengeance the following year and took the title. His showing in Manila attracted several MICAA teams because of his ability as a shooting guard and his height (6-1) and weight (165 pounds.) Seven-Up and Yco made offers to him but a long distance call from Baby Ysmael to Father Alfafara in Cebu sent Marquez flying to Manila to join the Admiral band wagon. Ysmael's offer was simple, a scholarship of his choice plus a job at the firm. He enrolled at FEU, transferred to UE and was playing and studying at the same time. Boy was a hero right in his rookie year in the MICAA with Ysmael. Ysmael and Yco were in the finals of the 1958 season. Yco was ahead by one point with five seconds left to play. Ysmael had possession of the ball. Boy was positioned near the charity line when the ball bounced his way. He cooly jumped for the winning basket. Boy was born in Zamboanga City. Fathers Raganton and Joseph Neville, both from Ateneo de Zambonaga, taught Marquez fundamentals of the game like positioning, dribbling, shooting and pivoting. He learned the finer points of basketball in Manila under coaches Enrique Crame, Guillermo Victoria, Fely Fajardo and national mentors Arturo Rius and Valentin Eduque. When the team for Chile was announced, Boy had the distinction of being placed as utility, like the legendary Caloy Loyzaga. His teammates were Kurth Bachman, Emilio Achacoso, Guillermo Baz, Constancio Ortiz, the late Roberto Yburan, Gerry Cruz, Eddie Ocampo, Ramon Manulat, Nano Tolentino, Eddie Lim, Carlos Badion, Loreto Carbonell and Caloy        Loyzaga. He played poorly in 1967 and failed to make the team in the fourth ABC meet in Seoul. He played harder the following year and was a hit when he made the Mexico Olympics national team his last. Boy was 35 when he called it quits but his knee injury was the real cause for his retirement. He shifted to coaching until lately, he staged a comeback when he suddenly started playing in the current Philippine Basketball Association, the pro tournament. That showed that he was still in condition.