Yulo, Eala share PSA Athlete of Year award

MANILA, Philippines — Two of the country’ hottest sports properties will share center stage in next month’s Philippine Sportswriters Association Annual Awards Night.

For carrying the Philippine flag high and mighty with their sterling achievements in 2025, gymnastics’ golden boy Carlos Yulo and tennis sweetheart Alex Eala will be recognized as the male and female Athletes of the Year in the traditional sports gala by the country’s oldest media organization held in major partnership with San Miguel Corp.

From chaotic Jakarta to Miami’s tropical beaches, all the way to the bright lights of New York, Yulo and Eala left their respective imprints and proved Filipino athletes can truly excel.

The young and dynamic pair is on top of a long list of achievers to be honored during the affair originally slated on Feb. 2, but has since been moved to Feb. 16.

The venue remains at the Diamond Hotel Manila.

This marks the first time in 22 years the PSA named a male and female co-Athletes of the Year since legendary boxer Manny Pacquiao and golfer Jennifer Rosales shared the honor in 2004.

Yulo, 25, earned the same recognition in 2024, while Eala, 20, is receiving her first.

“Their exemplary performances on the international stage, and more importantly, the way they have inspired countless young athletes to chase their own path for greatness, are enough reason to crown both Alex and Carlos as the year’s top performers in sports,” said PSA president Francis Ochoa, sports editor of the Philippine Daily Inquirer.