Busan doubles heroes head major awardees

Two doubles partners who won the gold medal in the Asian Games lead the distinguished cast of major awardees who will be honored during the Philippine Sportswriters Association’s Annual Awards Jan. 10 at the Holiday Inn Manila.

Francisco "Django" Bustamante and Antonio Lining share the major award for winning the gold medal in the 9-ball doubles event in billiards in the Asiad last October in Busan, South Korea.

Also to be conferred the major award by the country’s oldest news organization is the tandem of four-time World Cup champion Paeng Nepomuceno and RJ Bautista, winner of the doubles event in bowling.

Mikee Cojuangco-Jaworski, who clinched the country’s third and last gold, which gave the Philippines its best finish in the Asiad in 16 years, has been the unanimous choice among sportswriters as the Sportswoman of the Year.

World boxing champion Manny Pacquiao, who retained the IBF super bantamweight crown in his third title defense, was adjudged the Sportsman of the Year.

Cojuangco-Jaworski and Pacquiao will receive Philippine sport’s highest honor in ceremonies to be graced by President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, officials of the Philippine Sports Commission, Philippine Olympic Committee, national sports associations, major sports clubs and organizations as well as corporate sponsors and sports patrons.

The Awards Night, to be telecast by NBN-4, is sponsored by San Miguel Corp., Samsung, Red Bull, Photokina, Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office, Philippine Sports Commission and Adidas.

The other major awardees are Blue Eagle Enrico Villanueva in amateur basketball, Efren "Bata" Reyes in billiards, Liza del Rosario in bowling, Dottie Ardina, Jayvie Agojo and Angelo Que in amateur golf, Harry Tanamor in amateur boxing and horse of the year Wind Blown. The PSA board has deferred deliberations on the major awardees for professional basketball and professional boxing.

Villanueva was the top choice for amateur basketball on the strength of his most valuable player awards in the Philippine Basketball League and the University Athletic Association of the Philippines where he piloted the Ateneo Blue Eagles to the title.

Reyes ruled the 2002 International Challenge of Champions in Connecticut, USA, while Del Rosario topped the all events and singles in the Asian Bowling Championships in Hong Kong in July.

Ardina became the first Filipina in three years to gain a title in the World Junior Golf Championships, ruling the Class E for eight years and under in smashing fashion.

Agojo captured the World Optimist Junior golf title in West Palm Beach, Florida, and became the first player to win the Class B title three years in a row in the Temecula International Junior Golf Championships in San Diego, California.

Tanamor bagged the gold medal in the Chowdry Cup in Azerbaijan and in the Acropolis Amateur Boxing Championships in Greece, and was the only silver medalist from the eight-man RP team to the Asian Games. He also won the silver in tournaments in Finland, Lithuania and North Korea.

Wind Blown showed mastery of the field anew by dominating the major stakes races of the year - the Breeders Cup, Gran Copa de Manila, Independence Day race, and the Christmas Invitational race.