4 big achievers to receive PSA special awards

PULLING off big feats in their respective disciplines, four athletes will be feted with special awards during the Philippine Sportswriters Association Annual Awards Night presented by Milo on Feb. 16

Ateneo star Alyssa Valdez earned the distinction as Ms. Volleyball, jin Jean Pierre Sabido is Mr. Taekwondo, while Tony Lascuña and Princess Superal earned the distinction as Golfers of the Year.

Also named Ms. Volleyball last year, Valdez led the Ateneo Lady Eagles to their first-ever UAAP women’s title at the expense of arch rival De La Salle, which held an imposing thrice-to-beat edge in the Finals.

Sabido sparkled in Mexico, emerging as the most bemedalled jin last year by winning a pair of gold in the 9th World Taekwondo Poomsae Championships in Aguascalientes.

He also nailed a gold medal (individual freestyle) in the 3rd Asian Taekwondo Poomsae Championship in Tashkent, Uzbekistan.

Finding his groove early in the season, Lascuña topped the ICTSI Philippine Golf Tour Order of Merit for the third straight year with total earnings of P3,181,565.

Widely considered as the future of women’s golf in the country, Superal delivered huge wins in the United States and Southeast Asia.

The 17-year-old SEA Games gold medalist became the first Filipino to win a United States Golf Association event when she stunned three-time Women’s Mexican Amateur champion Marijosse Navarro for the US Girls Junior Championship at Forest Highlands Golf Club in Flagstaff, Arizona.

Superal also led the Philippine team past the fancied Thais to win Southeast Asia’s Santi Cup by 13 shots in Brunei.

Some 70 persons and entities will be honored in the affair co-presented by the Philippine Sports Commission headed by chair Richie Garcia.

Also part of the honor roll in the event which has Philippine Basketball Association, Accel, Globalport, and Rain or Shine as traditional backers are coach Tim Cone (Excellence in Basketball) and the 1973 Philippine men’s team (Lifetime Achievement Award).

The coveted Athlete of the Year award is being disputed by Daniel Caluag of cycling, pro boxing’s Donnie Nietes, and Gabriel Moreno of archery.