PSA honors SEA Games champions

FILE–Members of the Philippine contingent led by pole vaulter EJ Obiena hold their national flags during the opening ceremony of the 31st Southeast Asian Games (SEA Games) at the My Dinh National Stadium in Hanoi on May 12, 2022. (Photo by Nhac NGUYEN / AFP)

The country’s gold medal winners in the 31st Southeast Asian (SEA) Games in Vietnam will be recognized with citations in the San Miguel Corporation-Philippine Sportswriters Association (SMC-PSA) Annual Awards Night on March 6 at the Diamond Hotel grand ballroom.

Boxing Olympians Eumir Felix Marcial and Rogen Ladon, together with triple gold winners Ana Nualla and Sean Aranar of dancesports, and the Gilas Pilipinas women’s team are among those to be cited with the special award given out by the oldest media organization in the country.

The Philippines bagged a total of 52 golds in Hanoi to finish a strong fourth during the biennial meet that was twice rescheduled due to COVID-19 surge in the region.

Olympians Hidilyn Diaz, EJ Obiena, and Carlos Yulo, along with other SEA Games gold medal winners Rubilen Amit, Meggie Ochoa, Carlo Biado, Johan Chua, and Vanessa Sarno, however, will no longer be given citations as they’ll be honored with higher awards during the gala night.

Yulo, Obiena, Amit, Biado, Chua, Ochoa, and Sarno are part of the group to be feted with Major Awards, while Diaz will be named PSA Athlete of the Year for the second straight time.

Other individuals to be cited outside of the SEA Games gold medalists are Chezka Centeno, Marie Antoinette San Diego, Efren Bagamasbad, Ronald Lomotos, Philippine Navy Standard Insurance, Philippine pencak silat team, Letran Knights basketball team, Joyce Reboton, Dottie Ardina and others.