PSA Siddayao Awards to 5 brilliant youngsters

MANILA, Philippines—A 15-year-old world junior boxing champion heads the five young achievers who will receive the Tony Siddayao Awards from the Philippine Sportswriters Association on March 3 at the Manila Hotel.

Eumir Marcial, who emerged as the first Filipino to capture the 55 kg gold in the AIBA Junior World Championships in Kazakhstan last year, will lead the select group of promising young athletes who will be honored during the annual PSA Awards Night.

Raymond Debuque (powerlifting), Markie Alcala (badminton), Jeron Teng (basketball) and Rustom Lim (cycling) will also receive the plum named in honor of Siddayao, the late sports editor acknowledged as the dean of local sportswriting.

Vice President Jejomar Binay will serve as keynote speaker along with PSA president Rey Bancod of Tempo during the gathering of top sports heroes led by Athletes of the Year Nonito Donaire Jr. and Dennis Orcollo.

The gala night presented by Smart, which will be aired live on dzSR Sports Radio 918, is also sponsored by Harbour Centre, SM Prime Holdings, Philippine Basketball Association, ICTSI, Philippine Sports Commission, Pagcor, Milo, and Coca-Cola.

The 18-year-old Debuque copped the lone gold for the country in the World Junior and Sub-Junior Powerlifting Championships in Moose Jaw, Canada.

Alcala, the younger brother of top women’s player Malvinne, showed promise when he topped his division in the Li Ning Singapore Youth International Series 2011.

Lim picked up the men’s junior bronze in the road race of the 18th Asian Youth cycling meet in Thailand. The feat made him the first Filipino to bag a medal in an Asian-level race since Victor Espiritu’s bronze in the 1998 Bangkok Asian Games.

A World Youth Games veteran, Teng shattered the high school scoring records when he unloaded a phenomenal 104 points in a game. The son of former PBA player Alvin also powered Xavier to a fourth straight Tiong Lian Basketball Association title.