PSA fetes world champs in awards

MANILA, Philippines - Three world boxing champions, two each in billiards and wushu, and one in dragon boat, headline the list of major awardees to be recognized by the Philippine Sportswriters Association (PSA) during its March 3 Annual Awards Night at the Manila Hotel.

Reigning World Boxing Organization (WBO) flyweight champion Brian Viloria leads the 18 other personalities who will be honored for their achievements in their respective sports during the gala, where Vice President Jejomar Binay serves as speaker and guest of honor.

Fellow title holders Donnie Nietes (WBO minimumweight) and Ana Julaton (WBO super-bantamweight) join Viloria, 31, as top honorees in boxing, while sanda (sanshou) fighters Jessie Aligaga and Dember Arcita are the recipients for wushu.

Receiving it for billiards during the formal affair presented by Smart, the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC), Philippine Basketball Association (PBA), Milo, Harbour Centre, SM Prime Holdings, Philippine Amusements and Gaming Corporation (Pagcor), ICTSI, and Coca-Cola, are lady cue artist Rubilen Amit and the indefatigable Efren “Bata” Reyes.

Also in the limelight are the celebrated Dragon Warriors, who bagged a total of five gold medals – all in record fashion – during the 10th International Dragon Boat Federation World Championship in Tampa Bay, Florida.

Viloria won a third world title following his 12-round unanimous decision win over Julio Cesar Miranda, and then successfully defended it with an impressive eight-round technical knockout of Giovanni Segura.

Julaton retained her WBO super-bantamweight crown with two title defenses against Francesca Alcanter in California and Jessica Villafranca in Mexico, while Nietes captured the WBO light-flyweight crown with a unanimous decision win over Mexican Ramon Hirales Garcia at the St. La Salle Coliseum in Bacolod.

Aligaga and Arcita accounted for two gold medals in the 11th Wushu World Championship in Ankara, Turkey, even as Amit and Reyes teamed up anew to retain the World Mixed Doubles Championship by whipping the US tandem of Johnny Archer and Jeanette Lee in the final, 10-6, in Hangzhou, China.

PSA president Rey Bancod of Tempo announced that other major awardees in the two-hour long rite yearly staged by the country’s oldest media organization, composed of editors and sportswriters from the different national broadsheets and tabloids, are reigning PBA Most Valuable Player (MVP) Jimmy Alapag (pro basketball) and his MVP counterparts in the amateur, Calvin Abueva of San Sebastian (NCAA) and Bobby Ray Parks (UAAP).

Completing the major awards list are golfers Jhonnel Ababa (pro) and the duo of Dottie Ardina and Rupert Zaragosa (amateur), Olympic qualifier Mark Anthony Barriga (amateur boxing), Horse of the Year Magna Carta (horseracing), Jockey of the Year Jesse Guce (horseracing), Kenneth San Andres (motocross), and Malvinne Ann Alcala (badminton).

Together, all major awardees share centerstage with boxing champion Nonito Donaire Jr. and No. 1 world billiards player Dennis Orcollo, who are named as co-winners of the prestigious PSA Athlete of the Year honor.

Not to be forgotten are the 36 gold medal winners in the 26th Southeast Asian Games, who are going to be given special citations.