PSA fetes year’s top athletes

The Philippine Sportswriters Association (PSA) gets the ball rolling on the local sporting scene with the staging of its annual Awards Night two weeks from now at the Holiday Inn hotel.

Everything is in readiness for the Jan. 11 affair, feting the top achievers of the 2001 season, led by billiards champion Efren "Bata" Reyes and Fil-Am golfer Dorothy Delasin, adjudged as the Co-Athletes of the Year.

On hand to honor the two and the rest of the awardees is President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, who will be making her first ever PSA Awards Night appearance since assuming the highest office in the land a year ago.

Basketball stars Danny Ildefonso (pro) and Ren Ren Ritualo (amateur) show the way among eight athletes to be bestowed the major awards. The others are Manny Pacquiao (boxing), Eduardo Buenavista (track and field), Liza del Rosario (bowling), Frankie Miñoza (golf), Pat Dilema (Jockey of the Year) and Wind Blown (Horse of the Year).

The PSA Awards Night is sponsored by Photokina Marketing and Red Bull with support from the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC).

Gold medal winners in the Kuala Lumpur SEA Games head the local athletes to be given citations. Among them are the athletics team of Ernie Candelario, Fidel Gallenero, Dandy Gallenero, John Lozada, Elma Muros-Posadas, Cristabel Martes and Roy Vence. The other awardees are Purita Joy Marino (archery), RP men’s team (basketball) and the billiards trio of Lee Van Corteza, Antonio Lining and Warren Kiamco.

Others to be cited are the RP bowling team (Chester King, Christian Suarez, Engelbert Rivera, Benito Dytoc and Leonardo Rey), RP bowling trio (Leonardo Rey, Chester King and CJ Suarez), RP doubles team of Arianne Cerdeña, Wally Mendoza (fencing), Juvic Pagunsan (golf), John Baylon (judo), karatekas Jose Ma. Pabillore and Gretchen Malalad, Jasmin Luis (shooting), taekwondo jins Veronica Domingo and Ma. Nelia Sy-Ycasas, wushu’s Mark Rosales, Willy Wang, Jerome Calica and Marques Sanguiao, motorsports’ Glenn Aguilar and Kenneth San Andres and powerlifters Erlina Pecante and Antonio Taguibao.

For spearheading a grassroots development program and efficiently staging the Batang Pinoy Games and Mindanao Friendship Games, the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) is on top of those which will be given special citations by the sportswriting fraternity.

Also receiving special citations are Pilipinas Shell (corporate sponsor — active chess), Petron (corporate sponsor-taekwondo), Caltex Philippines (corporate sponsor-boxing), individuals Andy del Rosario and North Cotabato Gov. Emmanuel Pinol and Holiday Inn, Photokina Marketing and Agfa for sponsoring the weekly PSA Forum.

Posthumous awards will also be awarded to prominent personalities such as Alfie Almario (PBA player), Nereo Andolong (PCSO chair/POC president), Armando Besa (boxing promoter), Tito Eduque (PBA coach), Fely Fajardo (PBA coach), Chris Monfort (PFF secretary-general), Larry Mumar (PBA player) and Inocencia Solis (Asian sprint queen).

Sports officials from both the PSC and the Philippine Olympic Committee (POC), presidents of the various National Sports Associations (NSAs) as well as members of the corporate community are expected to grace the annual affair.

PSA president Lito Tacujan said those who will not receive their invitations before the Awards Nights may pick up theirs before the rites.

Established in 1949, the PSA was founded by a group of sportswriters that included former Press Secretary Teddy Benigno.