Rafael Hechanova

Rafael Hechanova, Sr. (born 8 July 1928) is a Filipino former basketball player who competed in the 1952 Summer Olympics.^[1] 'Paeng' as he is fondly called, is a three-time member of the national team and became President of the Manila Industrial and Commercial Athletic Association (MICAA) in the 1970s.

Hechanova was a sophomore when he played varsity ball in his first time in the big leagues, he was a member of the UAAP champion team. UST retain the title in 1950 and then reached its greatest height in local caging when the Glowing Goldies bagged three titles in 1951 - the UAAP, the national intercollegiate and national championships. Hechanova played for YCO Redshirts in the MICAA and made his debut in international competitions with the RP squad that captured the basketball championship in the first Asian Games held in New Delhi. He was the skipper the following year in 1952 and made it anew in the 1954 national team where among his teammates were Lauro Mumar, Carlos Loyzaga, Ignacio Ramos, Mariano Tolentino, Eddie Lim and Antonio Genato. ^[2]

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