MANILA, Philippines — They stirred the nation’s passion in one glorious run in August.
Defying tough odds, Gilas Pilipinas brought Philippine basketball back to great heights to highlight a sporting year that also saw the coronation of a bevy of Filipino world champions.
Tonight (Saturday), Gilas Pilipinas returns to the spotlight when the Philippine Sportswriters Association (PSA) honors the sporting heroes of 2013 in the Annual Awards at 7:30 p.m. at Centennial Hall of Manila Hotel.
Bannered by PBA stars, Gilas Pilipinas will receive the Athlete of the Year honor for its electrifying runner-up finish in the Fiba Asia Championship last August that secured for the country a slot in the 2014 Fiba World Cup for the first time in 35 years.
Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas (National Sports Association of the Year) and its president Manuel V. Pangilinan (Executive of the Year) will also be feted for their sport’s string of international success last year.
Apart from the impressive hosting of the Fiba Asia, the SBP also boasted of the Under-16 and the Under-18 3×3 teams that duplicated the men’s feat by reaching the world stage.
Both youth squads will lead the citation winners, which includes the 29 gold medalists in the 2013 Southeast Asian Games in Myanmar.
A Sixth Man award will be given to the Gilas supporters, which will be represented by the PBA, for passionately cheering for the country.
Other athletes who made the country proud were world champions Rubilen Amit, Dennis Orcollo and Lee Vann Corteza of billiards and Mikeala Calamba of taekwondo, who will all receive the President’s Award.
Chess prodigy Alekhine Nouri, the world’s youngest Fide master at seven, leads the 10 young recipients of the Tony Siddayao award while swimmers Regina Maria Paz Castrillo and Rafael Barreto, both record-breakers in the Palarong Pambansa, will receive the Milo Junior Athletes of the Year plum.