Binay keynote speaker in PSA Awards Night

MANILA, Philippines - Vice President Jejomar Binay lends prestige to the PSA Annual Awards Night as he serves as guest of honor and speaker in the March 3 affair to be held at the Manila Hotel.

A noted sportsman and current president of the Philippine Badminton Association (PBA), Binay is gracing the special event for the very first time since being elected as the country’s second highest official in 2010.

“We are deeply honored for the kind gesture of Vice-President Binay in accepting our invitation to be the keynote speaker when the Philippine Sportswriters Association (PSA) pays homage to the best of 2011 during its Annual Awards Night,” said PSA president Rey Bancod, sports editor of Tempo.

Binay leads the sportswriting community in toasting boxing champion Nonito Donaire Jr. and billiards king Dennis Orcollo as co-winners of the prestigious Athlete of the Year honor.

Both Donaire and Orcollo are now two-time winners of the highest accolade being bestowed yearly by the country’s oldest media organization, composed of editors and sportswriters of the different national broadsheets and tabloids.

Donaire was Athlete of the Year in 2007 along with swimmer Miguel Molina, while Orcollo shared the award in 2010 with fellow pool great Francisco “Django” Bustamante, bowling champion Biboy Rivera, and Asian Games gold medalist Rey Saludar.

The 29-year-old Donaire won a second world title in three years following his sensational second round technical knockout of Mexican Fernando Montiel in their unification bout for the World Boxing Council (WBC) and World Boxing Organization (WBO) bantamweight championships at the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Just before the year ended, the boxer successfully retained his 118-lbs title belts with a one-sided, unanimous decision over previously unbeaten Omar Andres Narvaez of Argentina in headlining a huge boxing card at the Madison Square Garden in New York.

Orcollo, meanwhile, crowned himself the World 8-Ball champion by routing Neils Feijen of the Netherlands, 10-3, in their championship match at the Fujairah Exhibition Center in United Arab Emirates.

He then capped his 2011campaign by winning the gold medal in the 8-ball event of the 26th Southeast Asian Games in Indonesia, and clinching the Player of the Year award by the World Pool and Billiard Association (WPA) after finishing as the top player in the world rankings.

The two sportsmen banners a long list of different personalities and entities to be feted during the awards dinner presented by the Philippine Amusements and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR), Philippine Sports Commission (PSC), Philippine Basketball Association (PBA), Harbour Centre, and Coca-Cola.

Also to be handed out during the two-hour, formal gathering are Presidential Achievement Award, Executive of the Year, major awardees in different sports, National Sports Association (NSA) of the Year, Tony Siddayao awards, and various citations.