Fajardo, Jerusalem lead SAC major awardees

CEBU, Philippines — This group of elite athletes raised their game to another level, and the Sportswriters Association of Cebu (SAC) made sure that their excellent showings would not go unnoticed.

SAC announced the so-called “Elite 19” who will be the major awardees for the highly anticipated 38th SAC-San Miguel Beer (SMB) Cebu Sports Awards scheduled on May 26 at The Terraces of Ayala Center Cebu.

The event that will recognize top-performing Cebuano athletes will begin at 4 p.m.

Leading the cast of major awardees is Cebuano pro player June Mar Fajardo, the unstoppable big man of the San Miguel Beermen, who made history in the Philippine Basketball Association after winning a league-record seventh Most Valuable Player award in 2023.

Melvin Jerusalem is also a major awardee for an equally stellar showing in 2023 that saw him wrest the WBO minimumweight title with a second-round knockout win over Japan’s Masataka Taniguchi.

Joining Fajardo and Jerusalem as major awardees are stick fighters Trixie Lofranco, Maria Ella Alcoseba, and Dexler Bolambao, pool player Rubilen Amit, and golfer Junia Gabasa.

Completing the list of major awardees are Angelo Marquez (dancesport), Polaris Esports (e-sport), Eliecha Zoey Malilay, Ellise Xoe Malilay, and Angel Sanchez (jiujitsu), William John Riley Go (karting), Margielyn Didal (skateboarding), Aidaine Krishia Laxa (taekwondo), Matthew Justine Hermosa (triathlon) Elreen Ando (weightlifting), and Ronil Tubog (wrestling).

Major awardees will qualify for the prestigious Athlete of the Year award.

Other coveted awards that SAC will be handing out are the Sportsman of the Year award, Presidential Awardee, and Orlacsan Award.

SAC, which is headed by its president John Pages, a veteran sports columnist and current chief of the Cebu City Sports Commission, will also give posthumous awards to known sports personalities who mmensely contributed to the development of sports before they joined our Creator. (Pooled Report)