THE Philippine Sports Hall of Fame (PSHOF) formally immortalized 10 Filipino greats on Sunday in a glittering digital enshrinement ceremony that paid homage to their praiseworthy achievements.
No less than President Rodrigo Duterte honored the fourth batch of Hall of Famers led by football hero Paulino Alcantara, basketball legend Robert Jaworski, famed swimmer Eric Buhain, track and field star Elma Muros and 1988 Olympic bowling gold medalist Arianne Cerdeña.
Also joining them in the pantheon of Filipino sports heroes are Dionisio Calvo (basketball and football coach), Gertrudes Lozada (swimming), Rogelio Onofre (athletics) and Olympic boxing bronze medalists Leopoldo Serrantes and Roel Velasco.
“It is a great honor and privilege for me to congratulate the newest batch of sports icons that we enshrined into the Philippine Sports Hall of Fame,” Duterte told the first fully digital ceremony aired by PTV4. “On behalf of a grateful nation, let me thank our athletes for bringing pride and honor to our country.”
“Through your dedication and excellence in your respective sports, let your achievements inspire the younger generation of Filipinos to work harder in their chosen fields so that one day they can make our nation proud as you have made us all proud,’’ Duterte added.
Alcantara’s great grandnephew, Miguel Angel Rocha, received the elegantly-crafted PSHOF trophy.
Buhain, a two-time Olympian (Seoul 1988 and Barcelona 1992), collected 13 gold medals in the Southeast Asian Games, advised the next generation of athletes to achieve success, while Jaworski continued to inspire with his accomplishments.
“It’s a privilege that I’ve presided over the selection committee. It was not easy to decide who among our past heroes will be chosen,” Philippine Sports Commission Chairman William Ramirez said. “Not everyone can become a part of the Philippine Sports Hall of Fame.”
Ramirez chaired the PSHOF Selection Committee with Philippine Olympic Committee President Rep. Abraham Tolentino as vice chair.
“Their names will be forever remembered as Filipino heroes in the field of sports,” Tolentino said. “These are our heroes who will become an inspiration to our youth for the sacrifices and the achievements that they contributed to the country.”
Judy Calvo-Olson, received the posthumous award for his father, who coached the men’s national basketball team to its best performances in the Olympics—fifth in the 1936 Berlin Games and 12th in 1948 London edition.
“As Chairman of the Senate Committee on Sports, I assure you of my unrelenting and wholehearted support for our athletes and the entire sports community,” said Senator Christopher Lawrence “Bong” Go.