INQUIRER Sports

IN LIGHT of the recent calamity, the PBA Press Corps has decided to forego a lavish Awards Night at the Manila Pavilion and will instead make it simple but solemn at the PBA office in Libis, Quezon City, tomorrow.

This is the corps? contribution in the efforts to lend a hand to the victims of Tropical Storm ?Ondoy.?

Whatever it will save in cutting cost for the awards, the PBAPC will donate to the fund drive spearheaded by the Philippine Sportswriters Association under president Teddyvic Melendres.

PBA commissioner Renauld ?Sonny? Barrios and board chair Lito Alvarez lauded the corps in its effort to help.

Talk ?N Text coach Chot Reyes will be awarded the Coach of the Year trophy in the awards sponsored by Smart Sports, San Miguel Corp., Coca-Cola and Pagcor.

SMC chair Eduardo ?Danding? Cojuangco will be bestowed the Executive of the Year award in the rites also backed by Burger King, Sta. Lucia Realty, Alaska Milk, Barako Bull, Rain or Shine and Harbour Centre.

Other winners are Wynne Arboleda, Jason Castro, Mike Cortez, Arwind Santos, Jimmy Alapag, Gabe Norwood, Jared Dillinger, Sol Mercado, Bonbon Custodio, Larry Rodriguez and Throngy Aldaba.

Santos, winner of the Defensive Player of the Year award in 2008, ended up tied with Alapag as Order of Merit winners in PBAPC?s Player of the Week program. They won the Player of the Week honors thrice each and, thus, share the trophy presented by Accel.

Arboleda won Best Defensive Player honors for the second time in the last three years.