Frank Elizalde, the International Olympic Committee’s representative to the Philippines, San Miguel Corporation’s boss Danding Cojuangco and Bacolod Congressman Monico Puentevella are among the sportsmen expected to grace the two-hour show honoring the big achievers of 2005.
President Arroyo will be the special guest and will give the Athlete of the Year award to Team Philippines, to be assisted by Philippine Olympic Committee president Jose Cojuangco and Philippine Sports Commission chair William Ramirez.
Diver Sheila Mae Perez will receive the award on behalf of the athletes who made up Team Philippines, which garnered the award in a tribute to its historic, triumphant campaign in the 23rd Southeast Asian Games.
A big supporter of local sports for a long time now, San Miguel Corp., through Cojuangco, donated a huge sum to the First Gentleman Foundation to fund the training expenses of 13 National Sports Associations which accounted for 56 of the 113-gold medal haul of Team RP.
Twenty-three athletes comprised the list of major awardees while 17 athletes and entities will be recipients of citations during the rites sponsored by Red Bull with PSC, SMC and Manila Mayor Lito Atienza as supporters and to be telecast on a delayed basis over NBN-4.
The rest of the Filipino gold medalists in the last SEA Games will also be given special citations by the country’s oldest media group made up of sportswriters from national broadsheets and tabloids.
Also to be honored are the Philippine Dragon Boat Federation as Most Outstanding NSA and junior golfers Wolen Superal and Miguel Tabuena as recipients of the Antonio M. Siddayao Awards. Meantime, PSA president Jimmy Cantor said invitations are now being distributed.
He added that honorees who’ll not receive their invitations may get them instead at the reception area of the Grand ballroom during the awards rites which start at 7:30 p.m.