Top athletes honored tonite

The Philippine Sportswriters Association honors the country’s top sports achievers in year 2000 tonight with Fil-Am golfer Dorothy Delasin leading the distinguished list of awardees as PSA Athlete of the Year in the annual PSA Awards at the Holiday Inn Manila.

President Estrada has been invited to be guest of honor and award the PSA top plum to Delasin in the 7 p.m. affair.

Also to be feted are seven other major awardees, including World Boxing Council flyweight champion Malcolm Tunacao, GM Bong Villamayor, racing champion Angelo Barretto, pro cager Danny Ildefonso, amateur cager Ren-Ren Ritualo, amateur golfer Gerard Cantada and physically-challenged powerlifter Angeline Dumapong.

PSA president Lito Tacujan said a number of invitations to the event, sponsored by Red Bull and Agfa and supported by McDonald’s, could be obtained at the PSA reception.

Delasin, 20, arrived yesterday from San Francisco, played a round of golf with friends, supporters and members of the PSA at the Riviera and is scheduled to spearhead this morning the donation of ABS Bitter Herbs products worth P500,000 to local beneficiaries at the Quezon City Hall.

"It’s great to be back and I’d like to thank the Filipino people who have supported my campaign on the LPGA Tour," said Delasin, who won the coveted PSA award on the strength of her remarkable rookie campaign on the US LPGA Tour last year.

The affair, exclusively for PSA members and their guests, will be telecast on a later date by Viva-Vintage Television over IBC-13.

The rest of the awardees are: Olympians Roberto Cruz, Eva Marie Ditan, Jasmin Strachan, Donald David Geisler, Larry Semillano, Romeo Brin, Arlan Lerio, Danilo Lerio, Lerma Bulauitan, Eduardo Buenavista, Jennifer Chan, Toni Leviste, Benjie Tolentino, Rasheya Jasmin Ruiz, Miguel Mendoza, Carlo Piccio, Jenny Rose Guerrero, Liza Danila, Zardo Domenios, Sheila Mae Perez and paralympian Andres Lubin;

The San Miguel Beermen, the San Juan Knights, the La Salle Green Archers, Mark Paragua, Silver Story, Jennifer Rosales, Gerard Cantada, Paul del Rosario, Philip Alvendia, Glenn Aguilar and the men’s chess Olympiad team;

Football’s Kasibulan 6-12, the Sporting Edge Management Group, Philippine Tot Baseball Foundation, Inc., Puyat Sports, Dance Sports of the Philippines;

Red Bull, McDonald’s, Agfa, Milo, Adidas, Coke Go for Goal, Holiday Inn and the organizers of the World Volleyball Grand Prix.

Teddy Benigno, Rod Reyes, Virgilio Pantaleon, Enrique Romualdez, Ernie Singson, Taby Tabaniag and Tito Perez de Tagle, who are seven of the founding members of the PSA.