MANILA, Philippines — Team Philippines basks in the glory of its stirring triumph in the 30th Southeast Asian Games as it will be feted with the highest honor by the Philippine Sportswriters Association (PSA) in a special rite tonight.
Bannered by world champion and double gold winner Carlos Yulo, women’s world boxing champion Nesthy Petecio, Olympic silver medalist Hidilyn Diaz, and ace pole vaulter EJ Obiena, the Philippine contingent is the recipient of the coveted Athlete of the Year award in leading a huge cast of sports stars and personalities who are going to be recognized in the SMC-PSA Annual Awards Night at the Centennial Hall of the historic Manila Hotel.
Top sports officials led by Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) chairman Butch Ramirez, Philippine Olympic Committee (POC) president Abraham ‘Bambol’ Tolentino, International Olympic Committee (IOC) representative to the country Mikee Cojuangco Jaworski, and Deputy House Speaker and NorthPort team owner Mikee Romero join the country’s oldest media organization headed by president Tito Talao, sports editor of the Manila Bulletin, in paying tribute to the men and women who did the country proud in their respective fields in the year just passed.
The revered Efren “Bata” Reyes, a part of the Filipino delegation to the SEA Games even at 65 years of age, serves as special guest speaker in the gala night presented by the PSC, Milo, and Cignal TV. The legendary pool icon will likewise be honored with a Lifetime Achievement Award by the Philippine sportswriting fraternity.
A record medal haul of 149 golds, 117 silvers, and 121 bronzes helped the host country win the overall title in the biennial meet for the second time in its 42 years of participation in the SEA Games, a collective effort that gained the entire Team Philippines the nod as recipient of the prestigious Athlete of the Year trophy in the two-hour program also supported by the Philippine Basketball Association, AirAsia, and Rain or Shine.
Citations will be given to all gold medal winners in the meet as it made up the bulk of the close to 200 awardees comprising the 2019 honor roll list.
Also invited in the annual event to be hosted by veteran broadcaster Sev Sarmenta and Rizza Diaz, is House Speaker Allan Peter Cayetano, chairman of the Philippine SEA Games Organizing Committee (Phisgoc).