History
1949 marks the year that the legendary Lions Athletic Fraternity was born. A handpicked group of 20 boys as young as 12 years old was gathered under the tutelage of Mr. These 20 young boys eventually became the nucleus of the team envisioned by Mr. Ong in the years ahead that carried the colors of the Fraternity not only in the Philippines but also in foreign land. Ong saw his own keen
ness and enthusiasm, years of uphill and unremitting work sapped their energy, endurance, and patience towards their superiority in the sport. Ong spent interminably long hours with his boys on the football field trying to inculcate into them the rudiments of the game. Gradually, he instilled into them his own found knowledge and finer points of the game by pitting them through their paces and endeavoring to develop “educated feet” which were necessary to succeed in the progress of the game. Together with really good football sense, the success of the team paid its tribute to the task that Mr. Ong had set about with utmost determination for his own methodical way. Five years later in 1954, the Lions Athletic Fraternity tasted the first fruit of their labor. Dedicating to the boys’ readiness to absorb his advises, winning the Junior Championship during that year paved the way for yet continual domination in several championships to follow. Even more training prepared the Lions for the prestigious Manila Football League Championships in 1955. Their crowning success came to reality when they captured the title on this year and in the succeeding years until 1962. Defending their championship title in the League for seven consecutive years, the Lions had set a very high standard level of game play for other clubs to follow, much even more to surpass. This achievement became a part of the Chinese Commercial News’ featured report on the top 10 Greatest News that took place over the previous century. This achievement was also a fruit of what Mr. Ong conceived as the brilliant idea of “blooding” his boys against foreign teams on their own soil during the latter part of 1955. Ong thought about sending the Lions team to Hong Kong for a series of games in the former British Colony during the 2nd quarter of 1956. Coordination with the late Mr. Ramsey Omar, the Secretary of the Hong Kong Football Association, Rev. Cronon, the Governor of the schools sports, and Mr. Chu Kwok Lun of South China Athletic Association made a series of games by the Lions with several premier school teams in the Colony possible. Not only was it a very successful tour where everyone gained much experience in the finer points of the games, many friendships were also made with the students of the Colony during the series of friendly games. As a result, two premier league teams from Hong Kong, namely South China and Eastern, visited manila during that same year and further elevated the game experience by playing against the Lions team. The following year in 1957, the Lions embarked on another goodwill tour to Taipei and won 3 out of 4 games.
1958 was another Hong Kong goodwill tour for the Lions where improving results were experienced with matches against mostly school teams. On that same year in Manila, visiting teams from Indonesia and South Korea showed that the Lions team was performing at the same international level of game play. Heeding an invitation to Taipei in the 3rd quarter of 1959, the Lions faced the opportunity to play against the Thailand in an opening game for the World Cup Qualifiers Thailand and China. Winning three other games against China Air Transport, Chinese Air Force, and the Southern University friendly games proved that the trip to Taipei was successful. Upon returning to Manila, more friendly matches against Hong Kong visiting teams Tung Hwa and Eastern further honed the skills of the Lions. Visiting teams again sought to play against the famous Lions team in Manila. Peruvians and Kowloon Motor Bus from Hong Kong sought to overcome the undefeatable skills of the Lions. In 1961, Singaporean Mr. Chua Boon Lay learned of the success and impressed with the performance of the Lions that through his initiative and assistance, the Lions successfully embarked on a South East Asia Tour in 1962. A total of 8 games were played during this tour in what used to be the Federation of Malaya, making it the first ever South East Asia Tour by a club team from Manila. The Lions had traveled far since Mr. Mariano Ong first selected his 20 young boys in 1949. Ong’s foresight together with unending support from the Fraternity officials succeeded in sending the team to play on foreign soil as witnessed by the vast improvement of the team. Subsequent Goodwill tours to Hong Kong and China had developed close ties with football teams such as the South China Athletic Associations of Hong Kong, one team from Thailand, and Three clubs from China. Many of the football players of the Lions eventually entered the Mapua Institute of Technology where Mr. Ong was a coach of the institution. This advantage gave Mapua the NCAA Championship title for football for twelve consecutive years. Even after the death of the team’s founder, the fraternity handled the coaching responsibilities of the Mapua Institute of Technology, Malayan Technology High School, Samantabhadra Institute, Philippine Cultural High School, and a number of Xavier School students through the undying efforts of the Lions head Coach Mr. William Ngo and his team of assistant coaches. The Lions Athletic Fraternity maintains a midget, junior and senior teams that can participate in multiple tournaments at any given time. Old-timer players of the Lions are still active in the playing field, undeniably showing that not only is football a method to keep fit, but is also their way of life. Continuing the work of the founder Mr. Mariano Ong, the Lions Athletic Fraternity not only participates in various domestic and international tournaments but also supports various civic activities by giving academic scholarships to underprivileged students and contributing to charitable institutions. The present leaders of the fraternity have also established a Youth council composed of the younger generation of Lions. They have been participating in the background of the officers, trained to become the future frontrunners of the fraternity. Having a Youth Council also ensures the continuity of the organization beyond its 60th year of existence, maintaining close ties that have already been established with other football clubs not only locally but also internationally.
