Ex-Olympian Beech dies in sleep, 92

MANILA, Philippines — Enrique Beech, who made a name for himself in shooting and football, died in his sleep Wednesday. He was 92.

The two-time Olympian represented the country in the 1956 and 1960 trap shooting event of the Olympics following a bronze-medal stint in the 1954 Asian Games.

Beech, a Philippine Sports Commission consultant who reported for work regularly at the Rizal Memorial Sports Complex, was found dead by his wife after the latter tried to wake him up.

He also played football for the national team in the 1940s and was forced to shift to another sport after a career-changing knee injury.

Beech, who later on picked up the sport of golf, belonged to an elite group of former collegiate athletes who were enshrined to the San Beda Sports Hall of Fame in 2003. Honored with him were the late Fide president Florencio Campomanes and basketball legend Caloy “The Big Difference’’ Loyzaga.