PSA Awards: Philippine Olympic chief Tolentino is Executive of the Year

MANILA, Philippines — The man who sparked the renaissance of Philippine sports today gets a piece of the spotlight in the January 27 staging of the San Miguel Corporation-Philippine Sportswriters Association (SMC-PSA) Annual Awards Night at the grand ballroom of the Manila Hotel.

Abraham “Bambol” Tolentino will be recognized as Executive of the Year during the traditional gala night by the country’s sports writing fraternity for the hands-on job he did overseeing the participation and performance of the Filipino contingent to the Paris Games as head of the Philippine Olympic Committee (POC).

With Tolentino, current Tagaytay City mayor, at the helm and weaving the baton, Team Philippines achieved its best-ever showing in its century of Olympic participation, highlighted by the country’s very first double gold medal courtesy of wonder boy Carlos Yulo in gymnastics.

This marks the third time the father of the country’s Olympic movement will be feted with the award during the traditional festivity co-presented by ArenaPlus, Cignal and MediaQuest.

Tolentino was recipient of the Executive of the Year back-to-back in 2021 and 2022, respectively.

Yulo of course, leads all of the awardees in the celebration considered the “Oscars of Philippine Sports” and supported by the Philippine Sports Commission, Philippine Olympic Committee, PLDT/Smart, MILO, Senator Bong Go, and Januarius Holdings, with backing from the PBA, PVL, 1-Pacman Party List, Rain or Shine, Akari and AcroCity.

The 24-year-old gymnast is the undisputed choice as 2024 Athlete of the Year by the country’s oldest media organization headed by its president Nelson Beltran, sports editor of The STAR.

Aside from Yulo, the Philippines also won two bronze medals in Paris courtesy of boxers Nesthy Petecio and Aira Villegas as the Filipino contingent lived up to Tolentino’s bold prediction the country will surpass its medal haul in the Tokyo Olympics four years earlier.

It was also under Tolentino’s leadership when weightlifting icon Hidilyn Diaz delivered the Philippines’ first ever gold in the Olympiad in 2020 by topping the women’s 55kg class in record fashion.

The 32nd edition of the Summer Games also saw three boxers bringing home medals behind the explosive fists of Petecio, Carlo Paalam — both silver winners — and Eumir Marcial (bronze).  

Tolentino, also president of the Integrated Cycling Federation of the Philippines (PhilCycling), earned a new mandate as POC president just before the end of 2024.