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Filipino
gold medalists in the recent 24th Southeast Asian Games in
Thailand will also be cited in the coming San Miguel Corporation-Philippine
Sportswriters Association Awards Rites at the SM Mall of Asia
in the second week of February.
The
Philippines had its worst showing in the biennial meet with
a paltry haul of 41 gold, 91 silver and 96 bronze medals -
a performance that came at the heels of its 2005 overall title
conquest - but that doesn't take the luster off those who
made the circle of winners.
"We
should honor them more because they delivered during the worst
of time," said PSA president Aldrin Cardona of the Daily
Tribune.
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Stricken
off the list from those to be cited was swimming sensation
Miguel Molina, whose four-gold medal showing earned
for him a higher accolade-nomination for 2007's Athlete
of the Year.
Nominees
to the highest individual plum of the PSA are automatically
the major awardees of their respective sports.
Aside
from Molina, also nominated for Athlete of the Year
in the awards rites also backed by the Philippine Sports
Commission, Shakey's and Accel, are boxing icon Manny
Pacquiao, reigning International Boxing Federation/International
Boxing Organization flyweight champ Nonito Donaire,
world 8-ball king Ronnie Alcano, golfer Frankie Miñoza
and young chess Grandmaster Wesley So.
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Swimming
turned out to be the most outstanding national sports association
in the Thailand games with eight gold medals. Aside from Molina,
whose four gold medals also earned for him the biennial meet's
Best Male Athlete award, also swimming their way to the gold
were Ryan Arabejo, JB Walsh and Daniel Coakley, who will all
be campaigning in the Beijing Olympics.
Also
to be cited by the PSA, the oldest, most prestigious media
organization founded in 1949 and composed of sports editors
and sportswriters of all the national broadsheets and tabloids,
are Shakey's for fueling the renaissance of volleyball, Nic
Jorge's BEST Center, which will be celebrating its 30th year
in March, and boxing impresario Tony Aldguer, owner of the
famed ALA Gym in Cebu.
The
PSA Board is in the final stage of completing its honorees
for major awardees in pro and amateur basketball, Horse of
the Year, Jockey of the Year, the President's Award, the Tony
Siddayao Award, the Most Outstanding NSA and other citations.
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