Champ indeed but mother first

Have we seen the last of Mikee Cojuangco?

Well, if you ask the 2002 PSA Female Athlete of the Year awardee, it’s probably yes.

After receiving the prestigious award on a star-studded Friday night at the Holiday Inn, the 28-year-old equestrienne who won the individual showjumping gold in last year’s Busan Asian Games hinted of retirement from international competition.

"Talagang pag-iisipan ko nang mabuti kung sasali pa ako kasi mahirap talaga ‘yung ginawa ko sa Asian Games. Of course, it paid off kaya lang sa sitwasyon ko ngayon, maraming mas mahalaga sa buhay ko," said Mikee, now a mother of two but still as pretty, as lovely as when she barged into show business probably a decade ago.

Her family, including husband Robert Jaworski Jr. and their two children, is Mikee’s biggest priority at the moment, adding that she has yet to make it up to them since the Asian Games in Busan where she stayed for almost a month.

"Mahirap mahiwalay sa pamilya mo. Ang mga anak namin tuwing tatawag sa akin umiiyak. And now tuwing aalis ako ng bahay (they’d ask) "Mommy pupunta ka na naman sa Korea?’ Kawawa naman sila," said Mikee.

The honor of receiving the top award from the PSA could just well be the icing on the cake for the daughter of former Congressman and current equestrian president Jose "Peping" Cojuangco and wife Margarita, the former Tarlac governor.

"To receive an award from this body, like what (PSC chairman) Eric Buhain said earlier, para ka nang nanalo ng Famas. There are many great athletes in our country that don’t even have this (award) to end (their careers) with. So if I’m going to end mine with this then why not?" Mikee told scribes after the affair. "A gold medal in the Asian Games has always been my dream and binigay nga ng Diyos sa akin," added Mikee, who’s not even thinking of the 2004 Athens Olympics at the moment. "Because the best in the world are the Europeans. And the level of competition mas mataas talaga ang Olympics. Di hamak. Malaking difference."

In her acceptance speech, Mikee, in a simple but elegant dark gray attire, thanked the PSA for bestowing the award on her and to the hundred other Filipino athletes who brought pride and honor to the country the past year.

"It is such an honor for me to be here tonight among the best athletes in our country today. As competitors, our goal is always for us to win. Kaya lang, hindi naman palaging gintong medalya ang panalo natin.

"Pero pag-lingon natin sa ating pinangga-lingan doon natin makikita ang kahalagahan ng mga ginagawa nating mga atleta at kung ano ang nagagawa nito sa ating mga pagkatao. That’s why I would like to share this award to all our athletes," she said.

Boxer Manny Pacquiao, who was supposed to receive the PSA Male Athlete of the Year award, failed to make it. (The PSA’s pooled editorial on Pacquiao is on A-24.)