PSC chief keynote speaker in PSA Awards

MANILA, Philippines - A pair of karters leads five honorees to be cited by the Philippine Sportswriters Association (PSA) with the Tony Siddayao Awards during its Annual Awards Night co-presented by Milo and San Miguel Corp. on Monday at the 1Esplanade in Pasay City.

Riders Zachary David and Gabriel Tayao Cabrera join golfer Mikhaela Fortuna, chesser Paulo Bersamina and swimmer Kyla Soguilon are the latest batch of young athletes to be feted with the special award named in honor of the late Manila Standard sports editor Tony Siddayao, considered as the Dean of Philippine sportswriting.  

The award is given by the county’s oldest media organization to promising athletes 17-and-under who showed exemplary skills in their respective sports.

Both David and Cabrera ruled their respective divisions in the Asian Karting Open Series held in Macau.

Bersamina meanwhile, topped the U-20 event of the 15th ASEAN Age Group Chess Championships to obtain his International Masters title.

Fortuna won the US Kids-Teen World Golf Championship 13-division in the US, while Soguilon shone in two international tournaments including the 16th Royal Bangkok swimfest, where she collected a total of six gold medals.

All five of them are part of the long list of honor roll led by PSA Athlete of the Year Daniel Caluag to be recognized for their respective achievements in 2014 during the formal event which has for principal sponsors Meralco, Smart, and the MVP Sports Foundation and the Philippine Sports Commission as major sponsor.

PSC chairman Richie Garcia is the keynote speaker for the night.

This marks the first time that Garcia will be the keynote speaker in the yearly affair since being named as the head of the country’s government sports agency in 2010.

A former national golfer and PSC commissioner, Garcia also served as the chef de mission of the Philippine delegation that competed in the Asian Games in Incheon, South Korea, and whose lone gold medal winner, BMX rider Daniel Caluag, is going to be feted with the prestigious Athlete of the Year honor during the event which has Meralco, Smart, and the MVP Sports Foundation as principal sponsors and the Philippine Sports Commission as major sponsor.

Garcia, now considered as the longest serving PSC chairman, is expected to be at the forefront of honoring the personalities and entities who did their own contributions in further uplifting the state of Philippine sports a year ago.

Back-to-back UAAP cheerdance competition champion National University will showcase the prowess that won for the school two straight titles as it entertains awardees and guests with its special number.

The awards rite, which also has 1Esplanade, Globalport, El Jose Catering, PCSO, Rain or Shine, PBA, Maynilad, Accel, Pagcor, National University, Air21 and International Container Terminal Services, Inc. as partners, will also honor the NU Bulldogs (President’s Award), Hans Sy (Executive of the Year), MVP Sports Foundation Inc. (Sports Patron of the Year), the 1973 Philippine men’s basketball team (Lifetime Achievement Award), Tim Cone (Excellence in Basketball), Mitsubishi (Hall of Fame), Alyssa Valdez (Ms. Volleyball), Jean Pierre Sabido (Mr. Taekwondo), and Princess Superal and Tony Lascuña (Golfers of the Year).

Major awards, meanwhile, will be handed out to Donnie Nietes, San Mig Coffee team, Gabriel Luis Moreno, Michael Christian Martinez, San Beda Red Lions, June Mar Fajardo, Kiefer Ravena, Mark Galedo, Daniella Uy, Mikee Charlene Suede, Jessie Aligaga, Jean Claude Saclag, Philippine dragon boat team, Philippine poomsae team (male over 30), Philippine poomsae team (freestyle), Kid Molave, and Jonathan Hernandez.