One of the country’s top sports patrons has departed.
Lucio “Bong” Tan Jr. was declared dead at around 9:00 am, Monday. He was 53.
Tan was confined in Cardinal Santos Medical Center in San Juan last Saturday after collapsing in a recreational league game held at Gatorade Hoops Center in Mandaluyong City.
The head coach of the University of the East Red Warriors was diagnosed with a brain aneurysm.
When he was in his late 20s, Tan brought his father’s rhum company Tanduay to the mainstream through sports.
Tanduay joined the Philippine Basketball League in 1995, before being promoted to the Philippine Basketball Association four years later.
Later on, he put up MPBL club team Batangas Taduay Athletics and boosted UE’s basketball program.
He was also the Chief Executive Officer of Philippine Airlines.