Athletics cited PSA top NSA

MANILA, Philippines - The Philippine Sportswriters Association, recognizing the brilliant performance of the Philippine Amateur Track and Field Association in the last SEA Games in Laos, will confer the NSA of the Year honors to Patafa during the PSA Awards Night on March 1 at the Manila Hotel.

Marestella Torres stood at the forefront of the Filipino tracksters’ campaign, winning the gold medal in the women’s long jump of the Asian Athletics Championship in Guangzhou, China, and then later, spearheading the track and field team’s haul of seven gold medals in the SEA Games, two of them via record-breaking fashions.

Patafa, headed by Go Teng Kok, is among the top sports personalities and entities that will be honored by the country’s sportswriting fraternity during its annual rites.

The 27-year-old Torres, whose golden feat in the Asian athletics meet ended a 22-year-old gold medal drought for the country, has been named Athlete of the Year by the oldest media organization in the country, a distinction she shares with fellow winner Rubilyn Amit and the women’s world poomsae champion team of Camille Alarilla, Janice Lagman and Rani Ann Ortega.

To be honored with the Athlete of the Decade award during the rite also presented by Smart, Pacific Online System Corporation, the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC), Harbour Centre and PCSO is boxing great Manny Pacquiao.

Among the past winners of the NSA of the Year include the Wushu Federation of the Philippines, Philippine Aquatics Sports Association, Philippine Taekwondo Association, Philippine Dragon Boat Association and the Amateur Boxing Association of the Philippines.

Hammer thrower Arniel Ferreira, one of two local tracksters who set a new SEA Games record together with Torres, will be honored with a major award, while the rest of the track and field gold medalists – Eduardo Buenavista, Jho-An Banayag, Rene Herrera, Rosie Villarito and Danilo Fresnido – are among the recipients of the special awards given to all winners in the biennial meet.

Receiving a major award along with Ferreira are boxing champions Annie Albania, Donnie Nietes, Nonito Donaire Jr, Marvin Sonsona, Brian Viloria and Rodel Mayol, pool superstars Efren ‘Bata’ Reyes and Francisco ‘Django’ Bustamante, sensational chess player Wesley So, golfers Elmer Salvador and Chihiro Ikeda and netters Cecil Mamiit and Francis Casey Alcantara.

Cyclist Joel Calderon, Barangay Ginebra’s JayJay Helterbrand, John Baylon, jockey Jesse B. Guce and champion horse Don Enrico complete the list of major awardees..

The presence of President Macapagal-Arroyo is expected to add glitter and prestige during the two-hour long ceremony as the Chief Executive has been invited as special guest of honor.