Ergilio Hato

Template:Short description Template:Use dmy dates Template:Infobox football biography Ergilio Pedro Hato (7 November 1926 – 18 December 2013), also known as Pantera Negra (Black Panther), was a goalkeeper from Curaçao in the former Netherlands Antilles. He was well known in the Caribbean and his reputation achieved beyond the boundaries of the region. He received offers to large teams including Ajax Amsterdam, Feyenoord Rotterdam and Real Madrid Club de Fútbol. However, he turned down the offers because he chose not to play professionally.

History

His mother's last name was Hatot, but the Civil Registry couldn't place the name, so they decided to spell Ergilio's last name “Hato”. Hato was always an avid soccer player. Back in the day, school yards were set up as soccer fields and monks encouraged playing before school, during breaks, and after school. Hato (19 in 1945) would have been drafted for military service had the Curaçao Soccer Federation not hosted a large international competition with teams from Colombia, Aruba, Suriname and the Netherlands Feyenoord in 1945. Curaçao's “Dream Team” delivered a clean sweep. Feyenoord came in second. A huge disappointment for the Dutch, and a testament to Curaçao's innate talent despite its small size and limited resources.

Hato became known as the best goalkeeper in Latin America and the Caribbean. He took the Netherlands Antilles team to the Olympics in 1952 (they lost against Turkey) and led Curaçao's team to a bronze medal at the Pan American Games in 1955. Hato's international notoriety awarded him several lucrative offers to play professional soccer internationally, rejecting offers from teams from South America and Europe including Real Madrid, AFC Ajax and Feyenoord. He pursued a career at the ALM Antillean Airlines, raised a family, and played in his local club, CRKSV Jong Holland.

He lived up to his many nicknames on the field: Pantera Negra (Black Panther), Vliegende Vogel (Flying Bird) and Man van Elastiek (Elastic Man).

Footnotes

The Dutch publishers SWP have released a book about Mister Hato and his life. More to be found at https://web.archive.org/web/20070929134838/http://www.sportgericht.nl/489.html this publishing is to be considered the only publication in book form about Hato, in Dutch and Antilian language.

Honours

• The Ergilio Hato Stadium in Willemstad, Curaçao was named after him.
• Central American and Caribbean Games Bronze Medal (1): 1946
• Central American and Caribbean Games Gold Medal (1): 1950
• Pan American Games Bronze Medal (1): 1955
• CCCF Championship Silver Medal (1): 1955

International goals

No.	Date	Venue	Opponent	Score	Result	Competition
1	11 March 1953	Estadio Nacional de Costa Rica, San José, Costa Rica	{{ Template:Yesno	alias = Nicaragua	flag alias = Flag of Nicaragua.svg	flag alias-1839 = Flag of Nicaragua (1839-1858).svg	flag alias-1856 = Flag of Nicaragua under William Walker (1856-1857).svg	flag alias-1858 = Flag of Nicaragua (1858-1889 and 1893-1896).svg	flag alias-1889 = Flag of Nicaragua (1889-1893).svg	flag alias-1896 = Flag of Nicaragua (1896-1908).svg	flag alias-1908 = Flag of Nicaragua (1908–1971).svg	link alias-naval = Nicaraguan Navy	link alias-air force = Nicaraguan Air Force	link alias-army = Nicaraguan Army	link alias-navy = Nicaraguan Navy	size =	name =	altlink = national football team	variant = }} || align="center"|2–0 || rowspan=2 align="center"|8–0 || rowspan=5| 1953 CCCF Championship
2				6–0
3	12 March 1953		{{ Template:Yesno	alias = Panama	flag alias = Flag of Panama.svg	link alias-naval = Panamanian Public Forces	link alias-navy = Panamanian Public Forces	size =	name =	altlink = national football team }} || align="center"|1–0 || rowspan=2 align="center"|4–2
4				3–1
5	22 March 1953		{{ Template:Yesno	alias = El Salvador	flag alias = Flag of El Salvador.svg	flag alias-1822 = Flag of El Salvador (1822–1865).svg	flag alias-1823 = Flag of the United Provinces of Central America.svg	flag alias-1824 = Flag of the Federal Republic of Central America.svg	flag alias-1839 = Flag of El Salvador (1822–1865).svg	flag alias-1865a = Flag of El Salvador (April 1865).svg	flag alias-1865b = Flag of El Salvador (June 1865).svg	flag alias-1869 = Flag of El Salvador (1869-1873).svg	flag alias-1873 = Flag of El Salvador (1873-1875).svg	flag alias-1875 = Flag of El Salvador (1875-1877).svg	flag alias-1898 = Flag of the Greater Republic of Central America (1898).svg	flag alias-civil = Civil Ensign of El Salvador.svg	flag alias-army = Flag of the Salvadoran Army.svg	link alias-army = Salvadoran Army	flag alias-navy = Flag of the Navy of El Salvador.svg	link alias-navy = Navy of El Salvador	flag alias-naval = Flag of the Navy of El Salvador.svg	link alias-naval = Navy of El Salvador	flag alias-air force = Flag of the Salvadoran Air Force.svg	link alias-air force = Salvadoran Air Force	flag alias-military = Flag of the Armed Forces of El Salvador.svg	link alias-military = Armed Forces of El Salvador	size =	name =	altlink = national football team	variant = }} || align="center"|1–1 || align="center"|1–1

Source: RSSSF

External links

• [1] http://www.soccer-db.info/