Former London Olympian dies

Eddie Decena, member of the Philippine basketball team to the London Olympics, died yesterday at 76 years at the Makati Medical Center at 6:12 p.m. His body will be brought to St. Alfonse Ligouri in Magallanes Village in Makati. Burial will be on Tuesday at the North Cemetery after the 8 a.m. Mass.

Eddie was a widower. His wife was Nena Aragon and he left his children Luis "Louie," "Maritess" Mari Jose, Tiny Jr., "Chit" Rosario and Tryll Macalintal.

He was the Most Valuable Player of the NCAA in 1947 when De La Salle College won the championship with Tito Eduque as captain and Chito Calvo as coach. He retired from basketball after an accident bumping his knee with Don Barksdale, US Olympian in the 1948 London Olympics during a game at the Rizal Memorial Stadium in an exhibition game between De La Salle and the Bittners.