Manila: A huge toast is in store for the country’s best-ever showing in the Olympics and the rest of the top performers of 2024 at the San Miguel Corporation-Philippine Sportswriters Association (SMC-PSA) Awards Night Monday at the Centennial Hall of The Manila Hotel. Gymnastics sensation Carlos Yulo is the star of the night as the well-deserved recipient of the Athlete of the Year award from the country’s oldest media organization under the leadership of Nelson Beltran, sports editor of The Philippine Star. Yulo, the 24-year-old pride of Manila, carved out the Philippines’ first ever double gold medal during the Paris Olympics in a fitting highlight to the country’s 100th participation in the quadrennial showcase. Awards proper starts at 7 p.m.
According to Philippines News Agency, with the theme ‘Golden Year, Golden Centenary,’ the formal event that counts a total of 117 awardees, will also honor past Olympians for their hard work and sacrifices in representing the Philippines at the highest level of sports. Philippine Olympians in the last 60 years will be represented by their respective batches and join the 2024 contingent on center stage during the program made possible by the Philippine Sports Commission, Philippine Olympic Committee (POC), MILO, PLDT/Smart, and Senator Bong Go, with support from the PBA, PVL, 1-Pacman Party List, Rain Or Shine, Akari, and AcroCity.
Former senator Freddie Webb, who played for the men’s basketball team in the 1968 (Mexico) and 1972 (Munich) Olympics, is the keynote speaker and will speak on behalf of all the Olympians. Weightlifter Hidilyn Diaz, who gifted the country its first ever Olympic gold in Tokyo five years ago, will have her special moment in the star-studded affair as she will be formally enshrined in the PSA Hall of Fame. The 33-year-old Diaz is a four-time winner of the Athlete of the Year award (2016, 2018, 2021, 2022).
Boxers Nesthy Petecio and Aira Villegas will be feted with the President’s Award for their bronze medals in the Paris Games, while POC president Abraham Tolentino is the 2024 Executive of the Year for his leadership that netted impressive results. Meanwhile, the Gymnastics Association of the Philippines is the National Sports Association (NSA) of the Year, and joins June Mar Fajardo and Kevin Quiambao (Mr. Basketball), Jia Morado-De Guzman (Ms. Volleyball), Rubilen Amit and Carlo Biado (billiards), Melvin Jerusalem and Pedro Taduran (boxing), Daniel Quizon (chess), Rianne Malixi (golf), Tachiana Mangin (taekwondo), and jockey John Alvin Guce, Batang Manda, and Benhur Abalos (horse racing) as major awardees.
Also included in the PSA honor roll are the NCAA and MVP Group of Companies (Special Awards), 19 citations, and seven recipients of the Tony Siddayao Awards for youth achievers. All awardees, officials and guests who failed to get their invitations may claim their copies at the venue to witness the grand celebration mounted by the sportswriting community and co-presented by ArenaPlus, Cignal, and MediaQuest.
