A GROUP of young wushu artists and a scion of the sporting
Puyat clan will receive the Tony Siddayao awards during the San Miguel
Corporation-Philippine Sportswriters Association Rites at the SM Mall of Asia on
Feb. 16.
The Tony Siddayao Award, given annually by the PSA to the
most outstanding young athletes of the year just passed, is in honor of the late
Siddayao, former PSA president and sports editor and widely acclaimed as the
dean of Filipino sportswriters. Receiving the award are jungolfer Marcel Puyat
and the members of the country’s junior wushu Team.
Last June, Puyat, one of the country’s up-and-coming young
athletes making waves in the world of junior golf, rallied with a 31 at the
backside as he fired a four-under par 68 and posted a four-stroke victory in the
Mercedes Junior Golf Championship at the tough par-72 Rose Garden Golf Course in
Thailand.
Saving his best for last, Puyat struck for five birdies in
the last seven holes, battling back from two shots down and beating Thai
Thammanoon Koonmark by four shots for the Under-14 crown.
Puyat, one of the members of the ICTSI-backed national pool,
finished the 54-hole tournament with a 223 that included rounds of 79 and 76.
The junior wushu artists, on the other hand, captured two
gold, five silver and two bronze medals in the 4th Asian Junior Wushu
Championship in Yeongju, South Korea.
Leading the charge were Mary Stepanie Agbay (taijisword) and
Henson John See (cudgel), who provided the gold medals for the Filipinos.
"We hope the achievements of the junior wushu team and Puyat
will further inspire young athletes to aim for world-class excellence in their
chosen sports," said PSA President Aldrin Cardona of the Daily Tribune.
Backed by San Miguel Corp., the two-hour event is also
supported by SM Mall of Asia, Shakey’s, Philippine Sports Commission, Philippine
Amusements and Gaming Corp. and Accel.
The awards rites, to be broadcast by DZSR Sports Radio 918,
can be accessed on the internet by logging on to www.pbs.gov.ph. and clicking
the sportsradio icon.
Nominated for the prestigious Athlete of the Year Award are
boxing champions Manny Pacquiao and Nonito Donaire Jr., Southeast Asian Games
Best Athlete swimmer Miguel Molina, professional golfer Frankie Minoza, young
chess Grandmaster Wesley So and reigning 8-ball world titlist Ronnie Alcano.
All gold medal winners in the last 24th Southeast Asian Games
will also be cited by the country’s oldest and most prestigious media
organization founded in 1949.
Basketball stars Mark Caguioa and Jason Castro, together with
jockey Patti Dilema and Es Twenty Six, have already been named major awardees in
their respective sports.
Other major awardees and citations will be announced later.
