Category: Olympic Games Basketball

Olympic Games Basketball Tournament for Men 1948

Olympic Games 1948 Poster [Ref: 5]

Final Standings

PlaceCountryPWL
1United States of America880
2France752
3Brazil871
4Mexico752
5Uruguay853
6Chile844
7Czechoslovakia853
8Korea835
9Canada862
10Peru844
11Belgium853
12Philippines844
13Cuba743
14Iran725
15Argentina844
16Hungary835
17Italy844
18China853
19Egypt725
20Great Britain817
21Switzerland826
22Iraq707
23Ireland606
Olympic Games Basketball Tournament Final Standings 1948 [Ref: compiled from: 1]

Final Round

DateHome TeamAway Team
21st-22nd Place
12.08.1948Switzerland2Iraq0 #
19th-20th Place
12.08.1948Great Britain18Egypt50
13th-14th Place
12.08.1948Cuba70Iran36
11th-12th Place
12.08.1948Belgium38Philippines34
9th-10th Place
12.08.1948Canada49Peru43
Final
13.08.1948United States of America65France21
15th-16th Place
13.08.1948Argentina2Hungary0 #
17th-18th Place
13.08.1948China38Italy54
7th-8th Place
13.08.1948Czechoslovakia39Korea38
5th-6th Place
13.08.1948Uruguay50Chile32
3rd-4th Place
13.08.1948Brazil52Mexico47
Olympic Games Basketball Tournament Final Round 1948 [Ref: 1]

Semi-Final Round

DateHome TeamAway Team
17th-20th Semi-Finals
10.08.1948Italy35Egypt33
11.08.1948China54Great Britain25
9th-12th Semi-Finals
10.08.1948Peru40Philippines29
10.08.1948Canada45Belgium40
1st-4th Semi-Finals
11.08.1948United States of America71Mexico40
11.08.1948Brazil33France43
Olympic Games Basketball Tournament Semi-Final Round 1948 [Ref: 1]

Classification

DateHome TeamAway Team
21st-23rd Classification
10.08.1948Ireland12Switzerland51
13th-16th Classification
10.08.1948Cuba35Argentina34
12.08.1948Iran2Hungary0 #
5th-8th Classification
11.08.1948Czechoslovakia36Chile38
11.08.1948Uruguay45Korea36
Olympic Games Basketball Tournament Classification 1948 [Ref: 1]

Quarter-Final Round

DateHome TeamAway Team
17th-23rd Quarter-Finals
07.08.1948Italy77Iraq28
09.08.1948China42Switzerland34
11.08.1948Belgium2Hungary0 #
9th-16th Quater-Finals
07.08.1948Cuba40Peru45
07.08.1948Canada81Iran25
07.08.1948Great Britain46Ireland21
07.08.1948Argentina43Philippines45
1st-8th Quarter-Finals
09.08.1948Brazil28Czechoslovakia23
09.08.1948Chile52France53
09.08.1948Mexico43Korea32
09.08.1948Uruguay28United States of America63
Olympic Games Basketball Tournament Quarter-Final Round 1948 [Ref: 1]

Group Standings

PWLPts
Group A
Brazil55010
Uruguay5326
Canada5326
Hungary5326
Italy5142
Great Britain5050
Group B
Chile5326
Korea5326
Belgium5326
Philippines5326
China5326
Iraq5050
Group C
Unites States of America55010
Czechoslovakia5418
Argentina5326
Peru5234
Egypt5142
Switzerland5050
Group D
Mexico4408
France4316
Cuba4224
Iran4132
Ireland4040
Olympic Games Basketball Tournament Group Standings 1948 [Ref: 2]

Group Results

DateHome TeamAway Team
Group A
30.07.1948Brazil45Hungary41
30.07.1948Uruguay69Great Britain17
30.07.1948Canada55Italy37
31.07.1948Uruguay32Brazil36
31.07.1948Canada44Great Britain24
31.07.1948Italy19Hungary32
02.08.1948Great Britain11Brazil76
02.08.1948Canada36Hungary37
03.08.1948Italy34Uruguay46
04.08.1948Great Britain28Italy49
04.08.1948Hungary31Uruguay49
04.08.1948Canada35Brazil57
05.08.1948Hungary60Great Britain23
05.08.1948Brazil47Italy31
05.08.1948Canada52Uruguay50
Group B
30.07.1948Philippines102Iraq30
30.07.1948Belgium27Korea29
30.07.1948China39Chile44
31.07.1948Iraq18Chile100
31.07.1948Korea33Philippines35
02.08.1948Belgium34China36
03.08.1948Philippines39Chile68
03.08.1948Iraq20Belgium98
03.08.1948Korea48China49
04.08.1948Chile36Belgium38
04.08.1948Korea120Iraq20
04.08.1948Philippines51China32
05.08.1948Philippines34Belgium35
06.08.1948China125Iraq25
06.08.1948Korea28Chile21
Group C
30.07.1948United States of America86Switzerland21
30.07.1948Czechoslovakia38Peru30
31.07.1948Argentina57Egypt38
02.08.1948Peru52Egypt27
02.08.1948Switzerland23Argentina49
02.08.1948United States of America53Czechoslovakia28
03.08.1948Switzerland19Peru49
03.08.1948United States of America59Argentina57
03.08.1948Czechoslovakia52Egypt38
04.08.1948United States of America66Egypt28
05.08.1948Czechoslovakia54Switzerland28
05.08.1948Argentina32Peru34
06.08.1948Egypt31Switzerland29
06.08.1948United States of America61Peru33
06.08.1948Argentina41Czechoslovakia45
Group D
31.07.1948Iran30France62
31.07.1948Mexico39Cuba31
02.08.1948Mexico71Ireland9
02.08.1948Cuba31France37
03.08.1948Mexico50France42
04.08.1948Ireland22Iran49
05.08.1948Mexico68Iran27
05.08.1948Ireland25Cuba88
06.08.1948Iran30Cuba63
06.08.1948France73Ireland14
Olympic Games Basketball Tournament Group Results 1948 [Ref: 1]

Report

Ireland finished in 23rd and last place in the 1948 Olympic Games Basketball Tournament, losing all six games, although they were drawn in a tough group that included eventual Semi-Finalists France and Mexico (France went on to meet the mighty United States of America in the Final).

It was the only time an Ireland team represented the country at the Olympic Games in a team sport until the 21st Century when the Hockey team did so. Although the Amateir Basketball Association had only just been founded in 1945, the authorities decided to take advantage of the Olympic Games being held in London.

Most of the players came from the Army, who were most prominent in Irish Basketball at the time, having played the sport since the 1920s (the army was the only place that had gyms at the time). While the resulting report given to the Army authorities said it was a valuable learning experience and Ireland could do quite well at the next Olympics, it was not until a couple of decades later that Ireland entered the International arena again.

The Irish team had been using a ball that was more like a cross between a medicine ball and a Gaelic football than a basketball, and were using an outdated version of the rules, having self-isolated during the 1930s and 1940s due to World War II. Although outclassed by superior opponents in Mexico and France, Irish players were picking up moves they learnt during the tournament and executing them well during play towards the end.

Ireland Team: 3. Donald O’Donovan 4. Frank O’Connor 5. Tommy Mallon 6. Patrick Crehan 7. Jimmy McGee 8. Bill Jackson 9. Harry Boland 10. Tommy Keenan 12. Donald Sheriff 13. Daniel Reddin 14. Paddy Sheriff 15. Jim Flynn 16. Christy Walsh

Ireland at the 1948 Olympic Games Paddy Crehan (left), serving Frank O’Connor and Harry Boland. Paddy Sherriff at the back with the ball. [Ref: 6]

References

Websites

[1] FIBA (2016) Schedule & Results | 1948 Olympic Games [Internet] Available from: http://archive.fiba.com/pages/eng/fa/event/p/sid/2932/tid/305/schedule.html [Accessed 25 July 2016]

[2] FIBA (2016) Group Standings [Internet] Available from: http://archive.fiba.com/pages/eng/fa/event/p/sid/2932/tid/305/group-standing.html [Accessed 25 July 2016]

[3] FIBA (2016) Ireland [Internet] Available from: http://archive.fiba.com/pages/eng/fa/team/p/sid/2932/tid/305/_/1948_Olympic_Games_Tournament_for_Men/index.html [Accessed 25 July 2016]

[4] History Ireland (2012) Ireland ‘slam-dunked’: basketball at the 1948 games [Internet] Available from: https://www.historyireland.com/20th-century-contemporary-history/ireland-slam-dunked-basketball-at-the-1948-games/ [Accessed 30 April 2020]

Images

[5] 1st Dibs (2020) Olympic Games 1948 Poster [Internet] Available from: https://a.1stdibscdn.com/archivesE/upload/a_436/1508595396776/PS0745_org.jpg [Accessed 30 April 2020]

[6] History Ireland (2012) Ireland ‘slam-dunked’: basketball at the 1948 games [Internet] Available from: https://www.historyireland.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/Ireland-%E2%80%98slam-dunked%E2%80%99-basketball-at-the-1948-games-1.jpg [Accessed 30 April 2020]

Acknowledgements

Thanks to Mike Tully and Rob Gihbu

About this document

Researched, compiled and written by Enda Mulcahy for the

Eirball | Irish North American and World Sports Archive

Last Updated: 30 April 2020

(c) Copyright Enda Mulcahy and Eirball 2020

You are free to copy this document in whole or part provided that proper acknowledgement is given to the authors. All Rights Reserved.