Have you ever wondered about the exploits of the Philippine football team at the 1940 East Asian Games?
A full year before the surprise attack on Pearl Harbor and the outbreak of the Second World War in the Pacific, our national football team has played for the last time.
The Far Eastern Games (dubbed as the 'Olympics of Asia') was first hosted by the Philippines in 1913 with Japan and China participating. As the forerunner of today's Asian Games, other countries (British Malaya, Siam, British India, and the Dutch East Indies) also joined in later editions. It was already slated to host the 1938 edition.
The event was the 1940 East Asian Games, the replacement event for what would have been the 1940 Olympic Games in Tokyo. By that time, the Sino-Japanese War was already raging for over 7 years. Tension gripped the region and so only Japanese-sponsored puppets like Manchukuo and Mengjiang participated. The Chinese team is just a token opposition as most of the coastline was already occupied while the capital Nanking and all the Chiang Kai-Shek-led nationalist strongholds are under siege. Oddly enough, Hawaii participated with Japanese-born athletes while Siam withdrew from the competition.
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| The posters of the cancelled 1940 Olympic Games in Tokyo |
Despite its efforts to promote inter-Asian unity, it was a hard sell to encourage other Asian countries to participate since most were under Western colonial control. Then the war with China broke out and so Japan has to used sports as a diplomatic tool to reinforce its ties with its neighbors, especially its puppet states in northern China.
Although an American territory and a self-governing Commonwealth, the Philippines participated in these games due to its earlier involvement in the Oriental Sports Association (OSA) with Japan. This association had originally aimed to foster "peace in the East" but was increasingly overshadowed by Japan's military ambitions. The Philippine football team participated in these games for the last time before World War II erupted, marking their final international competition until the war's end. The rising tension in the region, coupled with Japan's militaristic agenda, made this event one of the last major sporting competition between the two countries before the hostilities started.
History
Officially called the East Asian Games of the Year 2600 (紀元二千六百年奉祝東亜競技大会), it was held from June 5-16, 1940. Interestingly, the games were actually divided into two tournaments with one in Tokyo from June 5-9 and the other one in the Kansai Region from June 13-16. The games were officially declared open by the Emperor's younger brother Yasuhito on June 9, during the opening ceremony at the Meiji Jingu Gaien Stadium in Tokyo.
Just like what happened in Berlin four years earlier, the Japanese used the event to strength pan-Asian relations while also promoting its war effort as a 'Holy War.'
As it was a rival event to the Olympics and Far Eastern Games replacement, they introduced a new emblem specially designed for the event, which featured a figure with the numbers "2600" overlaid on top of it. The numbers represented the celebration of Emperor Jimmu, but also alluded to the cancelled Olympic event, as the digits' design was reminiscent of that of the Olympic rings.
As the Philippines was not in a state of war with Japan at that time, it
decided to send athletes into the games, including its national football
team.
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| Filipino athletes during the opening ceremony presided by Emperor Hirohito |
Let the Games Begin
Although amateurism is still in effect, the Filipinos were actually up against 'semi-professionals' as the Japanese players were by all means have military training while the Manchurian squad may probably been soldiers from the dreaded Kwantung Army. Interestingly, Manchukuo was not allowed to play official FIFA international matches due to the Non-Recognition Policy of the United States and other countries. Meanwhile, the token China team were formed by the collaborationist Reorganized National Government of the Republic of China, headed by Wang Jingwei.
All three opponents have already played against each other a year earlier in the so-called "Championship Games of Amity with Japan, Manchukuo, and China" (Nichi-Man-Ka Kokan Kyogikai).
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| The Japanese team is looking to avenge their worst defeat at home soil |
The games kicked off at the Meiji Jingu Gaien Stadium on June 7, 1940 with Japan steamrolled the Manchurians 7-0. The following day, the Filipinos battled to a hard-fought 2-2 draw against the feisty Chinese team. With great form, the Japanese are seeking to avenge their worst ever loss in football history. In June 9, they followed it up with another impressive drubbing of their old rivals in China 6-0 while the Philippines were again forced to another stalemate with the Manchurians in a 1-1 scoreline.
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| There were only two major big football stadiums in Japan at the time |
There was a week break before the teams moved on to a different venue at the Koshien South Ground in Nishinomiya for the penultimate day where Japan is already assured of the title while the Philippines looking to book its first win. Both countries faced in a tight match but Japan went on to win 1-0. Manchukuo took the runner-up with a 1-0 win against the weakened, homesick Chinese squad.
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| Against all odds, the Filipinos managed to hold its ground with two draws and one loss |
After the War
Japan played in another football tournament at the 10th Anniversary of Manchuria against its puppet states. These matches are not officially sanctioned by FIFA so these games don't count in the record books. It made its postwar debut only in 1951 against Iran in the inaugural Asian Games, six years after the end of the war.
Meanwhile, the Philippines played its first postwar international against Hong Kong in 4-1 friendly loss away. It had a decade long stretch of losing streak mostly against fellow Asian neighbors until it played against Japan since that match at Nishinomiya. This time around, the Filipinos played against the host of the 1958 Asian Games at the Tokyo Football Stadium.
And the result? It was remarkable. The Philippines avenged that loss against Japan thanks to a 65 minute goal by George Aldeguer. It made it out of the group stage, only to get plastered 5-2 by neighbors Indonesia in the quarterfinals. Indonesia went on to capture the bronze medal. While Republic of China won the gold by beating South Korea 3-2 AET.
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