Inquirer Sports honors best of 2020

The top athletes in a most extraordinary year take the spotlight in the first Inquirer Sports Awards (ISA) on Feb. 11.

The ISA will honor athletes and sports officials who managed to grab the headlines in the Inquirer’s sports section despite a turbulent 2020, when a pandemic shuttered several sports tournaments all over the world.

The pandemic trimmed the program to just five honorees: The best male and female performers of the year, the year’s top executive/decision-maker, the quote of the year and the humanitarian award.

PBA Finals MVP LA Tenorio, boxer Eumir Felix Marcial and pole vaulter EJ Obiena and karate e-kata star James De Los Santos are among the top bets for the best performance by a male athlete while boxer Irish Magno, golfer Yuka Saso, sprinter Kristina Knott, weightlifter Vanessa Sarno and tennis ace Alex Eala are in the running for the best performance by a female athlete trophy.

Instead of giving out awards to honor an athlete’s body of work, the ISA will fete the athlete for a specific performance that put their names in the headlines a lot.

Among the nominees for decision-maker of the year are Games and Amusements Board chief Baham Mitra, Philippine Olympic Committee president Abraham “Bambol” Tolentino, Philippine Football Federation head Nonong Araneta and PBA commissioner Willie Marcial.

Barangay Ginebra coach Tim Cone, boxer John Riel Casimero, Phoenix coach Topex Robinson and karate star Jamie Lim are in the running for the quote of the year.

Among those being considered for the humanitarian award are athletes who performed a civic duty during the coronavirus health crisis.