Poomsae, Asiad silver winners to be feted in rites

MANILA, Philippines - The victorious men’s poomsae team and the country’s silver medal winners in the last Asian Games in Guangzhou, China lead the recipients of major honors in the annual Awards Night of the Philippine Sportswriters Association (PSA).

The trio of Anthony Matias and brothers Brian and Jean-Pierre Sabido, along with the silver medal quartet of boxer Annie Albania, cue artist Warren Kiamco, golfer Miguel Tabuena and the Philippine men’s chess team, lead the list of 14 elite personalities to be handed out a major award by the country’s oldest media organization composed of nationwide broadsheets and tabloids, during the March 5 proceedings set at the Manila Hotel.

Without fanfare, Matias and the Sabido brothers brought home with them the men’s gold medal in the fifth WTF World Poomsae Championships at the Universal Sports Palace in Tashkent, Uzbekistan. The event was the same tournament topped by the lovely trio of Camille Alarilla, Rani Ann Ortega and Janice Lagman a year ago in Cairo, Egypt.

Albania, Tabuena, Kiamco and the men’s chess team, bannered by the young and brilliant Wesley So together with the unsinkable Eugene Torre, Asia’s first ever grandmaster, accounted for the four silver medals Team Philippines won in the 16th edition of the Asiad.

Also receiving the same recognition from the sports association first established in 1949 are the Philippine women’s basketball team and the boxing trio of Nonito Donaire Jr. , Donnie “Ahas” Nietes and the charming Ana Julaton.

Handled by coach Haydee Ong, the Filipina cagebelles scored a historic first ever Southeast Asian Basketball Association (SEABA) women’s cage title following a five-game sweep of the week-long tournament staged here in the country. The run included back-to-back victories over regional powerhouse Thailand, capped by a 76-54 rout in the title-clinching match.

Nietes, meanwhile, successfully defended his World Boxing Organization (WBO) minimumweight title with a unanimous decision over Mexican Mario Rodriguez in Sinaloa, Mexico, while Julaton wrested the WBO super-bantamweight championship with a split decision against another Mexican in Maria Elena Villalobos at the Casino Rama in Ontario, Canada.

Although he failed to win a major title in 2010, Donaire, the former world flyweight champion, was unbeaten in all three fights, including victories over world rated Hernan “Tyson” Marquez in Puerto Rico and one-time bantamweight title-holder Wladimir Sidorenko in Anaheim, California.

The rest of the major awardees to be honored during the gala awards night presented by Accel, are golfer Angelo Que (pro golfer), basketball hotshots James Yap (professional) and RR Garcia (amateur), Yes Pogi (Horse of the Year) and Jesse Guce (Jockey of the Year).

The three Asiad gold medal winners in Biboy Rivera, Dennis Orcollo and Rey Saludar, along with World 9-Ball champion Francisco “Django” Bustamante, are the recipients of the prestigious Athlete of the Year honor in the simple, and yet, significant event that gathers the top sports achievers and entities of the year just passed.

The Amateur Boxing Association of the Philippines is the recipient of the National Sports Association (NSA) of the year award.