Late sports officials, pals remembered

MANILA, Philippines - Departed friends of the local sports community will be greatly remembered by the Philippine Sportswriters Association (PSA) which honors them posthumously in its Annual Awards Night two days from now at the Centennial Hall of the Manila Hotel.

In a year when a huge number of sports officials, athletes, colleagues, and other prominent personalities passed away, the country’s oldest media organization will  confer on them a posthumous award and a minute of prayer during the Jan. 25 affair presented by Milo,  with Air21 as major sponsor.

Two-time International Basketball Federation (FIBA) president Gonzalo “Lito” Puyat was among those who left in 2013 together with dragon boat’s Nestor Ilagan, former Philippine Olympic Committee president Julian Malonzo, International Master Rodolfo Tan Cardoso, seven-time PBA Best Import awardee Bobby Parks Sr., two-time Tour of Luzon champion Atty. Cornelio Padilla Jr., Asian Games gold medal winner Pedro Subido, and fellow Asiad medalist Patricia Yngayo.

The year also saw several heads of National Sports Associations joining their Creator. Among them were baseball’s Hector Navasero, Ernesto “Toti” Lopa of bowling, Jose Marie Martinez of football, canoe/kayak’s Sim Chi Tat, Leandro Mendoza and Rod Feliciano of golf, and pencak silat’s Sultan Kiram III.

Those from the sportswriting fraternity are editors Manolo Iñigo and Enrique “Iking” Gonzales, both past presidents of the PSA, Ninoy Sofranes, Jimmy Perez, and boxing analyst and radio sports announcer Edwin Sese.

Others in the posthumous list are former PBA chairman Nazario Avendano, one-time national coach Dong Vergeire, boxing promoter and analyst Ramon “Moy” Lainez, top lady badminton player Karyn Cecilia Perez, and organizer of BEST Baguio chapter and former Basketball Association of the Philippines personnel Antonio “Tonette” Del Monte.

Veteran broadcaster and sports columnist Quinito Henson and Patricia Bermudez-Hizon will be hosting the affair which starts at 7:30 p.m.

It is  held in partnership with Smart Sports, Philippine Sports Commission, Rain or Shine, Accel at 3XVI, ICTSI-Philippine Golf Tour, Sen. Chiz Escudero, Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office, Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp., Philippine Basketball Association, SM Prime Holdings and Globalport.

The men and women’s poomsae teams that won gold medals in the world championship and Southeast Asian Games will provide the intermission numbers along with Gerald Jamili and Cherry Clarice Parcon of dancesport as they reprise their gold-winning performance in the Asian Indoor Games.

Leading the long list of 123 awardees to be feted on this special night is Gilas Pilipinas team, which will be the recipient of the prestigious Athlete of the Year following its stunning silver medal finish in the FIBA-Asia Men’s Championship for a berth in the FIBA-World Cup in Spain.