Pacquiao, Mikee year’s best

International Boxing Federation super bantamweight titlist Manny Pacquiao, the remaining Filipino world boxing champion, and Mikee Cojuangco-Jaworski, the country’s first Asian Games equestrian gold medalist in 16 years, were the unanimous choices as the 2002 Sportsman and Sportswoman of the Year of the Philippine Sportswriters Association.

In secret balloting held among regular members of the PSA Wednesday, Pacquiao garnered 32 of the 53 votes cast, beating contenders Django Bustamante (20) and Efren "Bata" Reyes (1) of billiards and the pair of Paeng Nepomuceno and RJ Bautista in bowling.

Cojuangco earned all 52 votes in a landslide victory over Liza del Rosario of bowling and Dottie Ardina of junior golf.

The balloting was held in the sports editorial offices of all the print publications. Special polls were also held for 18 sportswriters covering the Batang Pinoy Games in Puerto Princesa, Palawan.

The two top awardees will receive the Philippines’ most prestigious sports award from President Arroyo, who has been invited to be the guest of honor and speaker during the PSA Annual Awards Night Jan. 10 at the Holiday Inn Manila.

Bustamante, Reyes, Nepomuceno, Bautista, Del Rosario and Ardina are automatically included in the list of Major Awardees who will also receive trophies from the President.

The Awards Night is sponsored by Red Bull, Photokina Marketing, San Miguel Corp., Samsung, Philippine Sports Commission, Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office and Philippine Amusements and Gaming Corp.

Before a worldwide audience in the undercard of the Tyson-Lewis heavyweight bout at the Pyramid Arena I Memphis, Tennessee last June, Pacquiao blasted Jorge Eliecer Julio of Colombia into submission in 1:09 of the second round in the second defense of the crown he wrested from Lehlo Ledwaba in Las Vegas last year.

In October he made another convincing defense of his crown by decking Thai challenger Fahprakorb Rakkiat-Gym thrice to win by TKO in 2:46 of the first round in Davao City.

Cojuangco-Jaworski led the Philippine team, the only all-woman squad in the showjumping competition, to the silver medal in the team event in last October’s Busan Asian Games.

A day later she defied the odds to win over a Korean favorite to clinch the country’s third and last gold in the Asian Games and its very first since the sport was included in the Asian Games calendar in 1986.