Sabobo hopes Athlete of the Year plum puts spotlight on softball

Queeny Sabobo receives her Athlete of the Year award during the UAAP’s closing ceremonies for its 78th season at UP’s Bahay ng Alumni

Softball may not be as famous as other UAAP sports, but the ballgame in the dusty diamond of Rizal Baseball Stadium bear witness to one of the greatest collegiate dynasties.

Adamson University strung up an unprecedented 73-game winning streak and a six-year title run that has yet to be snapped.

In the middle of it all is diminutive shortstop Queeny Sabobo, who on Saturday was recognized for her efforts in the Lady Falcons’ unprecedented run with the UAAP Athlete of the Year award.

The Negros Occidental native was one of the four Athletes of the Year for Season 78, including three-time volleyball MVP Alyssa Valdez of Ateneo, record-setting swimmer Jessie Lacuna of Ateneo, and Rio De Janeiro-bound Ian Lariba of De La Salle University.

Receiving the award, though, never brushed up Sabobo’s mind and she’s far more willing to give recognition to her sport than to her self.

“Raise awareness na po for softball kasi hindi po ganoon ka sikat ang softball [dito sa Metro Manila],” said Sabobo after receiving her trophy at University of the Philippines’ Bahay ng Alumni in Diliman. “Sa probinsiya po sikat, sa Negros Occidental.”

Sabobo was an absolute terror in the UAAP, taking home the Season and Finals MVPs, the Most Home Runs, Most Runs Batted In, and Best Slugger trophies.

She was also a member of the Philippine team that won the gold medal in the 2015 Southeast Asian Games in Singapore.

Sabobo is obviously not as famous as Valdez, who also played in the Singapore games, but an award that she shares with the volleyball phenom is something that put a smile on her face.

“Masaya na rin po, bilang softball player na nakakuha ng Athlete of the Year,” said Sabobo. “Softball player na considering ang softball po di naman gaano kasikat dito sa Pilipinas.”