A 12-YEAR pro who bagged his first Most Valuable Player plum and an amateur star who copped his second straight MVP award share the spotlight as basketball awardees when the Philippine Sportswriters Association (PSA) honors the top Filipino athletes of 2012 next month.
Mark Caguioa of Barangay Ginebra and National University star Bobby Ray Parks will be honored as “Mr Basketball” in the professional and amateur ranks, respectively, during the PSA-Milo Annual Awards Night on March 16 at Manila Hotel.
Caguioa—who has only played for crowd-darling Ginebra since getting drafted in the PBA in 2001—finally picked up the only missing prize in his illustrious career when the ace guard won the PBA Season 37 MVP last year.
Parks, the son of seven-time PBA Best Import Bobby Parks, also had a phenomenal run as he bagged back-to-back MVPs while powering the Bulldogs to the UAAP Final Four for the first time in 11 years.
Both cagers will join the four co-winners of the Athlete of the Year award—WBO super bantamweight king Nonito Donaire Jr., world boxing gold medalist Josie Gabuco, softball World Series champion Team Manila and five-time UAAP basketball titlist Ateneo—in the awards night hosted by the country’s oldest media organization.
Also receiving major awards are horse Hagdang Bato and champion jockey Jonathan Hernandez in the event presented by the Philippine Sports Commission, Philippine Basketball Association, Rain or Shine, LBC, ICTSI, Philippine Golf Tour, Harbour Centre, Sen. Francis “Chiz” Escudero and Smart.
Caguioa, nicknamed “The Spark,” earned his second PSA award in six years since winning the top pro player citation in 2007.
Parks received his first best amateur player plum last year which he shared with San Sebastian’s Calvin Abueva.