PSA to honor Mt. Everest climbers in rites

From the peak of Mt. Everest to the flat roads of Doha, Qatar, Filipino athletes who did their share in making 2006 a bumper crop for Philippine sports will be honored Jan. 18 during the PSA-SMC Annual Awards at the Mall of Asia.

Sharing the limelight with the eight Athletes of the Year, led by boxing superstar Manny Pacquiao, are the first three Filipino mountain climbers who reached Mt. Everest, the world’s highest mountain, and the silver and bronze medalists in the last Asian Games in Doha, Qatar.

Leo Oracion, Pastor Emata and Romy Garduce, who climbed the summit of the 29,035-foot mountain last summer, will be conferred the PSA President’s Award while the Doha Asiad medalists lead the list of persons and entities to be cited by the 58-year old PSA, the country’s oldest media organization.

Pacquiao wil be bestowed the honor as Athlete of the Year alongside seven others — billiards champion Efren ‘Bata’ Reyes and Ronnie Alcano, bowler Biboy Rivera and Asiad gold medal winners Joan Tipon, Violito Payla, Antonio Gabica and Rene Catalan.

PBA 2005-06 Most Valuable Player (MVP) James Yap (pro basketball) will receive the PSA major award together with Ken Bono (amateur basketball), Juvic Pagunsan (golf), Jonathan B. Hernandez (horseracing) and Real Spicy (horseracing).

Young golfers Dottie Ardina, Mia Legaspi and Cyna Rodriguez, together with rising chess prodigy Wesley So are the recipients of the Antonio Siddayao award, given to athletes who showed promise at a young age.

Receiving the PSA Lifetime Achievement award during the two-hour ceremony, which begins at 3 p.m. is former International Chess Federation (FIDE) president Florencio Campomanes while Eugene Torre, Asia’s first grandmaster, will be elevated to the PSA Hall of Fame.

Legendary golfer Ben Arda and two-time PSA president and former Manila Standard Today sports editor Bert Cuevas head the nine sports greats and personalities who will be feted with a posthumous award by the association composed of sportswriters from the different national dailies and tabloid.

The Amateur Boxing Association of the Philippines (ABAP) and the Blliards and Snooker Congress of the Philippines (BSCP) have been named Outstanding national sports associations.

Complete List Of Awardees

Athletes Of The Year

Manny Pacquiao Violito Payla

Ronnie Alcano Joan Tipon

Biboy Rivera Antonio Gabica

Efren ‘Bata‚ Reyes Rene Catalan

Major Awards

James Yap (pro basketball) Ken Bono (amateur basketball)

Juvic Pagunsan (golf) Santy Barnachea (cycling) JB Hernandez (horseracing) Real Spicy (horseracing)

PSA President’s Award

Leo Oracion, Pastor Emata. Romy Garduce

Antonio Siddayao Award

Dottie Ardina Cyna Rodriguez

Mia Legaspi Wesley So

Citations

Marie Antoinette Rivero Tshomlee Go

Maria Marna Pabillore

Eduard Folayang

Jeffrey de Luna Cecil Mamiit

Eric Taino Kathleen Allora

Veronica Domingo Manuel Rivero Jr

Godfrey Castro Jenibert Basadre

Michael Bibat Noel Espinosa

Ramon S. Ang - SMC Debbie de Villa Ryan Mendoza Francisco ‘Django‚ Bustamante

AF3 Wushu team

Erlina Pecante Mateo Guidecelli

Dragon Boat team Yen Makabenta

Juanito Mingarine Philippine Football Federation

Sports Radio MASCO

Amaya Paz

Special Award

Recah Trinidad and Anvil Publishing

Lifetime Achievement Award

Florencio Campomanes

Hall Of Fame

Eugene Torre

Posthumous Award

Ben Arda Bert Cuevas

Carlos Santos Bana Sailani

Alex Arroyo Redan Lopez

Rodrigo Abaquita Deo Espinosa

Willy Victoria

Most Outstanding NSAs

Billiards Boxing