No 20 RICHARD HUGHES
6 feet 4 inches (193cm)Forward/Centre
1960 Olympic Games
In June 1952, Mr. Alec Spence, physical director of Perth YMCA saw a youngster playing volley ball in the YMCA gymnasium. He approached him and said that the YMCA “C” grade basketball team was short of players and that the youngster was the right physique to play basketball. He felt the youngster would be an asset to the team and would he be prepared to play a couple of games with the team to help out. This was Richard Hughes’ introduction to competitive basketball.
Richard Hughes was born July 14thin Perth in 1935 and started to play serious basketball at age seventeen…a “late starter” but that was not uncommon in those days as many youngsters did not have much contact with basketball, as cricket and “footy” (AFL) were the popular past-times.
Richard finished the 1952 season in “C” grade and was promoted to “A” grade in the start of the 1953 season. He went on to play for the YMCA basketball team until 1968, a period of fifteen years. At the end of that 1953 season he was asked to join the Western Australia Basketball State squad for some country tours. At this stage he made the decision to concentrate on basketball as his main sport.
Richard recalls, “Alec Spence was very influential in my career giving me initial skills training and encouragement. He followed my career in the following years and I have a great debt to him for his faith in my achievements.”
Richard was captain of the YMCA A grade team when they won the WA State championships in 1958, 1959, 1960, 1962, 1963, 1964. At one stage during this period the YMCA team won an unprecedented 56 games without a loss. Richard suggests, “This was an Australian record for any senior A grade sporting team in any sporting field at the time and possibly still stands.”
He won the Cleve Wright Medal for the Fairest and Best Player in the WA Basketball League in 1956.In 1957 and 1958 Richard was awarded the Champion Athlete trophy for the YMCA Athletic Club
In 1954 he was selected to represent Western Australia (WA) in basketball. He was to go on to represent WA until 1966 a period of twelve years. He captained the State in 1958.
At the Australian Men’s Basketball Championships (between States) Richard was the top rebounder in 1957, 1958 and 1959.
Because of his athleticism, rebounding and skills Richard was selected on the Australian Basketball Team for the 1960 Rome Olympic Games. In doing so he became the first Western Australian to be selected to an Australian Olympic Basketball Team.
Richard recalls, “Highlights for me with the 1960 Olympics started with my selection for the Olympic team which was announced at the conclusion of the 1959 Australian Championships. Another was the comradeship that was established between the players during the six weeks pre-games training in Adelaide.”
The Australian Olympic Basketball Team all moved to Adelaide for six weeks to work, train and play locally in their preparation for Rome.Richard recalls, “My wife Ann and I, and the two Victorian representatives Lindsay Gaze and Bill Wyatt, were housed in a very old house in Fullerton. The house had basic furniture and “outside facilities” Tough living but we all survived.”
Richard vividly remembers the long trip to Rome which included stopovers and games in Alice Springs, Darwin and in Manila in the Philippines. “It was a very long and arduous trip.”
The Australian Team participated in the Pre-Olympic Qualification Tournament in Bologna, Italy. There were 24 teams in the tournament and only four teams would go on to the Finals in Rome.
The experiences on the basketball court were exhilarating, a wonderful experience but not as successful as the team would have liked. The team lacked experience against the big nations and suffered from lack of international competition and failed to qualify for the Olympic Finals in Rome.
However the Australian Basketball Team was accorded all the rights of the Australian Olympic teamexcept they were accommodated outside the Village. This gave them a “free reign” to enjoy the Olympics without having to “miss out o anything” due to competing.
“I will never forget the immense thrill of being amongst outstanding competitors of the world. Mixing socially at the Games Village, I was able to make friends with a variety of players from other nationalities. I enjoyed watching fellow Western Australians, whom I knew, competing in Athletics, Swimming, Hockey, Water-Polo, Boxing, Gymnastics and Rowing and many basketball matches. The highlight for me was seeing local Western Australian Herb Elliott win the 1500 metres in breakaway style.
“Being part of the emotion generated by the simple Opening Ceremony and the incredible Closing Ceremony is something I’m extremely fortunate to have experienced and participated in, and will never forget”, says Richard.
In the Olympic Village Richard also had the pleasure of sharing a table with film star Gregory Peck whom he remembers as “both charming and entertaining.”
Another highlight for Richard was mingling with the USA Basketball Team after their Gold Medal win and exchanging a singlet with USA star Jerry Lucas.
Certainly Richard enjoyed a very wonderful Olympics away from the basketball court.
The teams’ adventures were not quite over after Rome as they travelled home to Australia on the P&O liner RMS “Strathaird”. Also on board was the 1960 West Indian cricket team with the likes of Gary Sobers and Wes Hall with the team.
Richard Hughes (right) with Gary Sobers (centre) and Wes Hall of the West Indian cricket team (Courtesy of R. Hughes)
After retiring from A League basketball in 1968 Richard started coaching junior basketball and played in the Reserve League and in country WA. He coached both junior and senior players up to the mid 1980’s. He had success with junior teams using the experience and knowledge he gained in Rome to win premierships for several years
Outside the basketball court Richard had obtained a Diploma of Accounting, Diploma of Teaching, and Diploma Company Secretaries and Company Administration. He held positions in banking, construction accounting, lectured accounting at WA Technical College, was Director of Finance and Administration Northern Territory Housing Commission and lectured at Swinburne University.
Richard Hughes was one of Australia’s early Olympic basketball players and WA’s first basketball Olympian. He not only contributed to the national team but gave back to the game through his playing and coaching in WA basketball.
Richard is retired with his wife Ann. He enjoys his family, his five children, ten grandchildren and four great grandchildren.
Richard Hughes soars to the basket (Australian Women’s Weekly, January 1960)
Richard Hughes (right) at the opening of Perry Lakes stadium(Courtesy of R. Hughes)