ATHLETES and sports personalities who inspired and gave Philippine sports something to cheer about in pandemic year 2020 will be feted in the San Miguel Corp.-Philippine Sportswriters Association PSA Awards Night on Saturday at the TV5 Media Center.
A total of 32 awardees make up a short honor roll composed of athletes, sportsmen, officials and entities who made a difference and rose to the challenge in the face of the pandemic that disrupted both local and international sports.
Top lady golfer Yuka Saso will receive the coveted Athlete of the Year Award traditionally handed out by the country’s oldest media organization now headed by its Manila Bulletin sports editor Tito Talao.
This marks the second time in three years that the 19-year-old Filipino-Japanese athlete will receive the highest accolade from the Philippine sportswriting fraternity after 2018 when she shared the spotlight with fellow golfers Bianca Pagdanganan and Lois Kaye Go and Rio 2016 Olympics weightlifting silver medalist Hidilyn Diaz.
The Awards Night will be held virtually, a first ever in PSA history in the face of strict health restrictions. The event is presented by San Miguel Corp. and backed by the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) and Cignal TV.
PSC Chairman William “Butch” Ramirez will be at the forefront of honoring Saso and the rest of the awardees as guest speaker for the event.
Hosted by Gretchen Ho and Paolo del Rosario, the awards night also supported by 1-Pacman Party-list, Chooks-to-Go and Rain or Shine will be aired on Sunday over OneSports+ from 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.
The other awardees are Philippine Olympic Committee President Abraham “Bambol” Tolentino (President’s Award), Philippine Basketball Association Commissioner Willie Marcial (Executive of the Year), Alliances of Boxing Association in the Philippines (National Sports Association of the Year) and Jose Romasanta, Renauld “Sonny” Barrios and the late Ambassador and basketball godfather Eduardo “Danding” Cojuangco Jr. (Lifetime Achievement Award).
Tennis player Alex Eala, and boxers Johnriel Casimero and Pedro Taduran will receive major awards, while boxing legend and Senator Manny Pacquiao will hoist the Chooks-to-Go Fan Favorite “Manok ng Bayan” trophy.
Twenty personalities and athletes who were frontliners during the pandemic will receive a special recognition.
A prayer will be offered to the athletes, officials and sports stakeholders who passed away in 2020.
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