{{Short description|Filipino basketball player (1928–2021)}} {{Use mdy dates|date=September 2021}} {{Infobox basketball biography | name = Rafael Hechanova | image = | number = | position = | height_cm = 180 | height_order = flip | weight_lb = | league = | birth_date = {{birth date|mf=yes|1928|07|08}} | birth_place = [[Jaro, Iloilo City|Jaro]], [[Iloilo]], [[Insular Government of the Philippine Islands|Philippine Islands]] | death_date = {{death date and age|mf=yes|2021|08|26|1928|07|08}} | death_place = Philippines | high_school = | college = [[UST Growling Tigers basketball|UST]] | draft_year = | draft_round = | draft_pick = | draft_team = | career_start = | career_end = | years1 = – | team1 = [[YCO Painters]] | years2 = | team2 = | highlights = | stat1label = | stat1value = | stat2label = | stat2value = | stat3label = | stat3value = | letter = | bbr = | nba_profile = | HOF_player = | FIBA_HOF_player = | medal_templates = {{MedalSport | Men's [[Basketball]]}} {{MedalCountry | {{flag|Philippines|1936}} }} {{MedalCompetition|[[Basketball at the Asian Games|Asian Games]]}} {{MedalGold|[[1951 Asian Games|1951 New Delhi]] | [[Basketball at the 1951 Asian Games|Team]]}} {{MedalGold|[[1954 Asian Games|1954 Manila]] | [[Basketball at the 1954 Asian Games|Team]]}} }}

'''Rafael "Paing" Hechanova Sr.''' (July 8, 1928 – August 26, 2021) was a Filipino [[basketball]] player who competed in the [[1952 Summer Olympics]].

==Early life== Rafael "Paing" Hechanova was born on July 8, 1928, in the then-city of [[Jaro, Iloilo City|Jaro]] in [[Iloilo]] province.<ref name='death'>{{cite news |title=PH basketball hall of famer Hechanova passes away at 93 |url=https://www.abs-cbn.com/sports/08/26/21/ph-basketball-hall-of-famer-hechanova-passes-away-at-93 |access-date=26 August 2021 |work=ABS-CBN News |date=26 August 2021 |language=en}}</ref><ref name=sref>{{cite Sports-Reference |url=https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/he/rafael-hechanova-1.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200418103042/https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/he/rafael-hechanova-1.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=18 April 2020 |accessdate=24 May 2012}}</ref>

==Career== ===Playing career=== Shortly after [[World War II]], Hechanova played varsity basketball for the [[University of Santo Tomas]]'s (UST) [[UST Growling Tigers men's basketball|Glowing Goldies]] under coach Herminio Silva in the [[UAAP]]. He was recognized as Mr. Basketball in 1951 by the [[Philippine Sportswriters Association]] for helping UST win titles in the UAAP, National Inter-Collegiate, and National Senior.<ref name="twotimesAsianchamp">{{cite news |last1=Saldajeno |first1=Ivan |title=2x Asian Games champ Rafael Hechanova passes away |url=https://www.dugout.ph/2021/08/2x-asian-games-champ-rafael-hechanova.html |access-date=8 September 2021 |work=Dugout Philippines |date=29 August 2021}}</ref> He also played for UST's volleyball and golf teams.<ref>{{cite news |title=Rafael Hechanova, Philippine basketball Hall of Famer, dies |url=https://www.rappler.com/sports/basketball-hall-famer-rafael-hechanova-dies/ |access-date=8 September 2021 |work=Rappler |language=en}}</ref>

Hechanova suited up for the [[Philippines men's national basketball team|Philippines men's national team]] helping the team win the gold medal in the [[Basketball at the 1951 Asian Games|1951]] and [[Basketball at the 1954 Asian Games|1954 editions]]. He was also part of the Philippine roster which competed in the [[Basketball at the 1956 Summer Olympics|1956 Summer Olympics]] in [[Helsinki]]. He was considered for inclusion in the country's roster for the [[1954 FIBA World Championship]], but Hechanova already decided to retire and pursue a career in architecture having just passed the board exam at that time.<ref name="twotimesAsianchamp"/>

He also played for the [[YCO Painters]] in the [[Manila Industrial and Commercial Athletic Association]] (MICAA).<ref name='death'/>

===Post-retirement=== Hechanova became involved again the MICAA as an official when the Concepcion Industries joined the league. He eventually became the league's president. When the [[Philippine Basketball Association]] was formed in 1975, he became the inaugural board of governors' second vice president. He was inducted to the National Basketball Hall of Fame in 2000. In 2002, he played a role in establishing the Philippine Olympians Association (POA). He served as chairman of the POA.<ref name="twotimesAsianchamp"/>

==Personal life== Rafael Hechanova was married to Mely Conception until the latter's death in 2019.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Espino |first1=Giselle |title=PH Tatler bids goodbye to Mely Concepcion-Hechanova|url=https://bilyonaryo.com/2019/12/16/ph-tatler-bids-goodbye-to-mely-concepcion-hechanova/ |access-date=8 September 2021 |work=Bilyonaryo |date=16 December 2019}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Litton |first1=Johnny |title=Dinner for a Prince |url=https://www.philstar.com/lifestyle/allure/2006/09/10/357363/dinner-prince |access-date=8 September 2021 |work=Philstar.com |date=10 September 2006}}</ref> He was also largely involved in [[Rotary International]] serving as a director from 1996 to 1998.<ref>{{cite news |title=Paing Hechanova's book on Rotary's precepts |url=https://www.philstar.com/opinion/2009/03/21/450121/paing-hechanovas-book-rotarys-precepts |access-date=8 September 2021 |work=The Philippine Star |date=21 March 2019}}</ref> Rotary also tasked him and his wife to serve as [[Mother Teresa]]'s aides during her visit in Manila in 1984.<ref>{{cite news |title=From Tondo to Cebu–when Mother Teresa came, 'no one was refused' |url=https://lifestyle.inquirer.net/236952/from-tondo-to-cebu-when-mother-teresa-came-no-one-was-refused/ |access-date=8 September 2021 |work=Inquirer Lifestyle |date=3 September 2016}}</ref> [[Cecil Hechanova]], the founding chairman of the [[Philippine Sports Commission]], was also Rafael's brother.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://sports.inquirer.net/209418/psc-founding-chair-hechanova-dies|title=PSC founding chair Cecil Hechanova dies|newspaper=[[Philippine Daily Inquirer]]|last=Navarro|first=June|date=March 22, 2016|access-date=March 23, 2016}}</ref>

==Death== Hechanova died at the age of 93 on August 26, 2021.<ref name='death'/>

==References== {{Reflist}}

==External links== * {{sports links}}

{{navboxes |title=Philippines squad | titlestyle = background:#0038A8; color:#FFFFFF; {{box-shadow border|a|#CE1126|2px}} |list1= {{Philippines squad 1951 Asian Games}} {{Philippines squad 1954 Asian Games}} }}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Hechanova, Rafael}} [[Category:1928 births]] [[Category:2021 deaths]] [[Category:Sportspeople from Iloilo City]] [[Category:Basketball players from Iloilo]] [[Category:Olympic basketball players for the Philippines]] [[Category:Basketball players at the 1952 Summer Olympics]] [[Category:Basketball players at the 1951 Asian Games]] [[Category:Basketball players at the 1954 Asian Games]] [[Category:Philippines men's national basketball team players]] [[Category:Filipino men's basketball players]] [[Category:Asian Games gold medalists for the Philippines]] [[Category:Asian Games basketball players for the Philippines]] [[Category:Medalists at the 1951 Asian Games]] [[Category:UST Growling Tigers basketball players]] [[Category:20th-century Filipino sportsmen]] [[Category:Asian Games gold medalists in basketball]]