Andrada, former Philta head; 84

Salvador “Buddy” Andrada, one of the “old hands” of Philippine sports who witnessed its ups and downs many times over, passed away on Wednesday. He was 84.

His longtime ally in the Philippine Tennis Association (Philta), Romy Magat, said Andrada suffered from a kidney disease that at one time required him to have dialysis three times a week. Magat, 85, said Andrada even called him up recently to set up a lunch date on Wednesday.

“He was happy that from three times [a week of dialysis], he was just required two,” Magat told the Inquirer.

Andrada led Philta from 1986 to 2000, steering local tennis to new heights before seeing it plunge into turmoil due to leadership disputes.

During his stint as tennis chief, the Philippines reached the Davis Cup World Group playoffs in 1991 with Felix Barrientos among those in the team.

He also helped bring in superstars of the sport like John McEnroe and Bjorn Borg, who played in the “Fire and Ice” series at Ninoy Aquino Stadium in 1989.

Andrada also became the first Filipino to have served as president of the Asian Tennis Federation (ATF). He was named lifetime honorary president of the ATF three years ago.

For many years, he was a member of the powerful Philippine Olympic Committee executive board and served as chief of mission in several international competitions.

His expertise and wide experience also earned him an appointment as a commissioner of the Philippine Sports Commission during the time of President Benigno Aquino III.

After that stint, he went back as Philta president until lawyer Antonio Cablitas took over in 2016.