SAC and SMC did it again!

The Sportswriters Association of Cebu (SAC) and San Miguel Corporation (SMC) did it again Wednesday night at Casino Espanol.

For the 27th time, the two institutions recognized Cebu’s brightest sporting stars in what has become an annual awards ceremony.

I had the assignment to arrange the citations and plaques near the stage and couldn’t help but and relate to the athletes. Much, much earlier, I sat with the other members of SAC as we planned the event.

During the program, hosted by my fellow sports columnist Rico Navarro, and as I looked around the room, couldn’t help but feel special being in the company of the athletes.

Again, I had the chance to help in the awards ceremony and felt the tug in my heart as I shared the stage with Manny Pacquiao, Jingo Quijano, Jun Migallen and John Pages.

Leading the awardees was no other than world’s best pound-for-pound boxing champion, the “Pambansang Kamao,” Manny Pacquaio, who received the Lifetime Achievement Award. Earlier that evening, Pacquiao was conferred an honorary doctorate degree by Southwestern University.

By now, you must have read all the other awardees so I won’t have to write them here.

To say that the evening was entertaining would be an understatement. While waiting for Pacquaio to arrive, Negros Occidental Representative Monico Puentebella got the audience’s attention as he told some untold stories of Pacquiao before he fought Oscar Dela Hoya last December.

The gentleman from Bacolod City was so entertaining that we didn’t even notice he was speaking for almost 40 minutes and only got interrupted when all heads turned toward the door as Pacquiao was coming in.

Needless to say, but I’ll say it anyway, cameras were all over the place. Almost all those in the room wanted his or her picture with Pacquiao. I guess there could never be a picture perfect moment such that of 9-year-old Richelle Ng, who probably stood less than 4 feet, posing with 7-0 giant Greg Slaughter.

Maxi Maximo, the winner of the coveted Sportsman of the Year award, said that he’ll talk to other awardees so they could agree on what to do “on sports and the media.”

Thank you, in advance, Maxi for the gesture. When you meet, please don’t forget Girlie Garces of San Miguel Corporation. Like the sportswriters, she too made sure that Cebu’s finest athletes get the recognition they deserve during the awards night.

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Andrew Jimenez, secretary of the Rotary Club of Cebu West, is a very new runner but   he’s showing us what he could accomplish by organizing the 1st Cebu Rotary Run this Sunday at the Cebu Business Park. When I spoke to him last week during the launching of the signature campaign to fix the oval, he was a bit worried.

I told him he has nothing to worry, as runners will come and register. As of this writing, more than 700 have already signed-up. Those who are interested to join, tomorrow is the last day of registration. Kindly proceed to the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) office at the Cebu City Sports Center; Freestar Arcade Building B, 2nd floor Unit 2-P H. Cortez St., Subangdaku, Mandaue City, besides San Roque Parish; Casa Ilongga; STI-Lahug (look for Joel Dy) and at the Sug-angan Restaurant.

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