PBAPC to fete best ref, Mr. Quality Minutes

MANILA, Philippines - A player who managed to perform well on a limited playing time and a referee who made good judgment calls get to share center stage with the awardees to be feted during the PBA Press Corps Awards on Wednesday at the Sapphire Room of the Gateway Mall in Cubao, QC.

The annual awards, with San Miguel Corp., Smart Sports and Alaska Milk as major sponsors and backed by Accel, Solar Sports, Coca-Cola, Araneta Center and Phoenix Petroleum, has Philippine Sports Commission’s Chito Loyzaga as guest of honor. It will be hosted by veteran sportscasters Quinito Henson, Ed Picson and Patricia Bermundez-Hizon.

The event, which will honor PBA personalities who excelled during the 35th PBA season, will start at 7:30 p.m.

The best player coming off the bench last season, Niño Canaleta of B-Meg Derby Ace, will be rewarded with the Mr. Quality Minutes award, while Kelly Williams, then with Sta. Lucia Realty and now with Talk n Text, will receive the William “Bogs” Adornado Comeback Player of the Year plaque, the award presented by Phoenix Petroleum.

Man in gray Manolito Quilingen is the Referee of the Year, Gabe Norwood of Rain or Shine the Defensive Player of the Year, and the quintet of Rico Maierhofer, Josh Urbiztondo, Ronnie Matias, Ogie Menor and Jervy Cruz comprising the All-Rookie Team.

Also to be honored by the PBAPC are the Executive of the Year and the Coach of the Year.

The season’s top coaches will dispute the coveted Virgilio “Baby” Dalupan Coach of the Year trophy which is named after “The Maestro”, who remains the “winningest” mentor in the pro league with 15 championships.

The season’s top official will be awarded the Danny Floro Executive of the Year trophy, an award named after the amiable Crispa Redmanizers team owner, who helped build the team’s dynasty by winning 13 titles, including two Grand Slams.

Adornado, one of the league’s three-time Most Valuable Player awardees and PBA Hall of Famer, has agreed to lend his name to the Comeback Player of the Year award, an award rightfully distinguished after his name when he came back from a career-threatening injury to win the league’s highest individual award.

Two recipients of the Raffy Japa Presidential Award will share the spotlight with the winners, while a short audio-visual presentation for the late Willie Caballes, the Manila Bulletin assistant sports editor and former PBAPC president who passed away last April, is in the program.