PSA President’s Award to Petecio, Villegas

Nesthy Petecio and Aira Villegas contributed to the country’s medal haul in the Paris Olympics. —PHOTOS BY AFP

Nesthy Petecio and Aira Villegas, the Filipino boxing champions who clinched two of the country’s medals at the Paris Olympics, will be honored with the prestigious President’s Award at the 2024 San Miguel Corporation-Philippine Sportswriters Association (SMC-PSA) Awards Night.

The ceremony will take place on Jan. 27 at Manila Hotel.

Petecio, who secured a bronze medal in the women’s 57-kilogram division, added to her Olympic accolades, having won silver at the 2020 Tokyo Games. This achievement marks her as the first Filipino boxer to win back-to-back medals in the Olympics. Meanwhile, Villegas made a stellar Olympic debut in Paris by earning a bronze in the 50kg class, defying odds as an underdog on the five-member Philippine boxing team.

The awards event, copresented by ArenaPlus, Cignal, and MediaQuest, will also honor Carlos Yulo, the star gymnast who brought home two gold medals from Paris, with the Athlete of the Year award. Yulo’s victories contributed to Team Philippines’ best-ever Olympic showing in a century of participation.

‘Bright moments’

PSA President Nelson Beltran praised Petecio and Villegas for their “bright moments in the Paris Games,” emphasizing their role in bolstering the Philippines’ Olympic success during its centennial year. The ceremony will also include awards for outstanding achievements in other sports, including the Executive of the Year and the Tony Siddayao Awards for athletes under 17.