Photo by Tristan Tamayo/INQUIRER.net
MANILA, Philippines — The influx of highly competitive Filipino women athletes has become a source of pride in recent years, prompting the Philippine Sports Commission to honor their valuable contributions to the nation.
PSC Commissioner Celia Kiram said the sports agency is considering recognizing the achievements of these women athletes in an exclusive awarding ceremony different from the general awards bestowed by the PSC to the national athletes.
Rio De Janeiro Olympic silver medalist Hidilyn Diaz, boxing world champion Nesthy Petecio, Asian skateboarding champion Margielyn Didal and golf prodigy Yuka Saso can certainly meet the criteria.
“I have something in mind where we will honor and recognize the accomplishments of our women athletes,” said Kiram, the chief advocate of the agency’s women in sports program.
Asian taekwondo champion Pauline Lopez, Olympic-bound boxer Irish Magno, second-generation athlete Jamie Lim of karatedo, wushu’s Agatha Wong, golfers Bianca Pagdanganan and Kaye Go likewise easily come to mind.
Anticipated to be included in the elite cast are the RP Blu Girls, whose performance overseas have put them within the top 10 in softball world rankings, and the Gilas Pilipinas Women, which pulled off a historic feat of winning the basketball gold medal in the Southeast Asian Games last year.
“This will boost the confidence of other female athletes and inspire more women to engage in sports,” said Kiram.
Diaz satisfied the nation’s 20-year hunger for an Olympic medal when she struck a silver in the 2016 Rio De Janeiro Summer Games.
Women power was sustained two years later when all four gold medals of the country in the 2018 Asian Games came from Filipino women athletes starring Diaz, Didal and double-gold performer Susa, who also ruled the women’s event with Pagdanganan and Go.
Aside from Wong and Lim, several gold-winning female athletes contributed to the overall success of the Philippines in the 2019 SEAG, including triathlete Kim Mangrobang, judoka Kiyomi Watanabe, Chezka Centeno (billiards) and jiu-jitsu’s Meggie Ochoa, among others.