Eagles, Banal earn PSA President’s Award

The Philippine Sportswriters Association will confer the PSA President’s Award on the Ateneo Blue Eagles and their coach Joel Banal for wresting the UAAP senior basketball crown and the PBL Chairman’s Cup in a single season during the PSA Annual Awards Jan. 10 at the Holiday Inn Manila.

This will be the first time a President’s Award will be given by the country’s oldest news organization, founded in 1949 by a group of sportswriters which included The STAR columnist Teddy Benigno and Malaya executive editor Pocholo Romualdez.

"We are presenting this award to the Ateneo Blue Eagles for their rare success on two fronts–the PBL where a nucleus of the Ateneo team won the Chairman’s Cup, and the UAAP where they made a heroic comeback to win the UAAP diadem," said PSA president Roberto Cuevas, in whose honor the award is given. "The impact of their title conquest and the struggle they had to go through to win the UAAP crown weighed heavily in their choice for this first-ever award."

Banal will share the award as coach of both title-winning teams. Incidentally, a Blue Eagle, Enrico Villanueva, was adjudged most valuable player of both the PBL Chairman’s Cup and UAAP basketball tournament.

Villanueva will receive a separate trophy as one of the PSA’s major awardees for his achievements in amateur basketball.

The Ateneo team and Banal will receive the presidential citation in one of the highlights of the PSA Annual Awards Night where President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo will present the Top Sportsman of the Year and Top Sportswoman of the Year awards to world boxing champion Manny Pacquiao and Asian Games equestrian gold medalist Mikee Cojuangco.

The awards rites, which will be attended by sports leaders from the government and private sectors, will be sponsored by Red Bull and Photokina and supported by Samsung, San Miguel Corporation, Philippine Sports Commission and Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office. It will be telecast by NBN-4.

After 14 years of intense rivalry, Ateneo, defying the odds and bucking injuries to key players, wrapped up the UAAP crown last October over archnemesis La Salle Green Archers.

The road to the finals was never easy. The Eagles had to take the long route to survive elimination against the best of the UAAP league, get through to the semifinals and eventually enter the finals against highly-fancied La Salle.

The Eagles, who last won the crown in 1988, were given up as an ‘endangered species’ after they lost five of their first nine games. They fought an uphill battle, which carried them to the Final Four, where they ousted twice-to-beat University of the East.

They beat the La Salle Green Archers, also seeking a historic five-peat, 2-1, in the finals.

Also to receive awards from the PSA are top athletes from various sports, all Asian Games gold, silver and bronze medalist as well as winners in international tournaments.

The PSA is also honoring corporations and individuals for their lifetime achievements and certain entities for their special contribution to sports. Posthumous awards will be awarded for sportsmen and sports leaders who passed away during the year.