PSA Awards: Paris medalists Petecio, Villegas to get special recognition

MANILA, Philippines — Responsible for delivering the country’s two other medals in the Paris Olympics, Nesthy Petecio and Aira Villegas will be the recipient of a special recognition in the 2024 San Miguel Corporation-Philippine Sportswriters Association (SMC-PSA) Awards Night.

The two fearless lady boxers are going to be recognized with the President’s Award by the country’s oldest media organization as it holds its traditional awards presentation on January 27 at the grand ballroom of the Manila Hotel.

Petecio and Villegas accounted for a pair of bronze medals in Paris and added to the two glittering gold medals that gymnast Carlos Yulo won in securing the best ever showing for Team Philippines in a century of participation in the quadrennial Games.

Yulo is going to be feted with the highest honor as 2024 Athlete of the Year during the proceedings co-presented by ArenaPlus, Cignal and MediaQuest.

Petecio emerged bronze winner in the women’s 57kg division, while Villegas secured the same medal in the 50 kg class.

“They may have missed the biggest prize in the 2024 Olympics, but nonetheless deserve high accolades with their own bright moments in the Paris Games, providing extra push in the glorious Philippine performance – a great highlight in the country’s centennial year of participation in the Summer Games,” said PSA president Nelson Beltran, sports editor of The STAR, of the special recognition to be bestowed on the two lady boxers.

For the 32-year-old Petecio, the bronze was the second Olympic medal she won, adding to the silver that she bagged in the 2020 edition of the Games in Tokyo. In doing so, she became the first ever Filipino boxer to clinch back-to-back podium finishes in the quadrennial meet.

For the 29-year-old Villegas, it was a proud moment right in her Olympic debut as an underdog out of the compact five-man Philippine boxing team that competed.

Several other awards will be handed out in the special night made possible by major sponsors Philippine Sports Commission, Philippine Olympic Committee, MILO, PLDT/Smart, Sen. Bong Go and Januarius Holdings and backed by the PBA, 1-Pacman Party-list, AcroCity, PVL, Akari, and Rain or Shine.

The honor roll includes Executive of the Year, Major Awardees in other sports, Mr. Basketball both in the professional and amateur ranks, Ms. Volleyball, and the regular Tony Siddayao Awards for athletes aged 17-year-old and under.

Special recognition will also be given out to the Philippine Olympians and Paralympians, while another iconic Filipino athlete is set to be enshrined in the PSA Hall of Fame.