5 youths named Siddayao awardees

MANILA, Philippines - Five young athletes, led by rising basketball star Kiefer Ravena, comprise the 2010 recipients of the Tony Siddayao Awards during the PSA-Coca Cola Annual Awards Night three weeks from now at the Manila Hotel.

Joining Ravena on stage on this special occasion set March 5 are badminton player Malvinne Ann Alcala, golfer Andie Unson, champion rider Jerrick Mitra, and wushu artist John Keithley Chan, as they will be bestowed the award given by the country’s oldest media organization to young, potential athletes.

The trophy is held in honor of Siddayao, the late Manila Standard sports editor considered as the Dean of Philippine sportswriting.

Past Siddayao awardees include Grandmaster Wesley So, powerlifter Patricia Llena, golfers Carlos Philippe Winsett Palanca, Wolen Superal, Miguel Tabuena, Marcel Puyat and AR Ramos, the Philippine junior wushu team, the Bacolod Girls softball team, cager Norberto Torres, among others.

Ravena and company are among the over 50 individuals and entities whose exploits a year ago will be honored and recognized during the two-hour, formal gathering presented by the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC), Philippine Amusements and Gaming Corp. (Pagcor), ICTSI, Accel, Nihao Mineral Resources International Inc., Harbour Centre, Samsung and San Miguel Corp.

Sharing the coveted Athlete of the Year honor are the three gold medal winners in the 16th Asian Games in Guangzhou, China, namely, boxer Rey Saludar, pool artist Dennis Orcullo and bowler Biboy Rivera, together with billiards legend Francisco “Django” Bustamante.

The 17-year-old Kiefer, the high school phenom son of former national team players Mozzy and Bong Ravena, steered the Ateneo Blue Eaglets to a third straight UAAP juniors basketball title, while winning a second consecutive league MVP award along the way.

Alcala on the other hand, won numerous gold medals for the country in several international tournaments, including the tough Singapore Youth International Badminton Championship just before year 2010 came to an end.

At about the same time the 15-year-old Alcala was doing her thing in the “Lion City,” Chan was also making the country proud just a few miles away as the graduating student of the Baguio Patriotic High School bagged the gold in the spear play event of the 3rd World Junior Wushu Championships.

Mitra, 14, for his part, emerged the 85cc champion in the premier junior category of the FIM Asian Motocross Series, while Unson, 15, ruled the Optimist International Junior Golf Championship girls’ 14-15 crown by beating Daniela Darquea of Ecuador in the second playoff hole.