PSA picks Salud as Executive of the Year

For steering the country’s top sports entertainment choice, the Philippine Basketball Association, to a banner year in 2012, league commissioner Chito Salud earned the distinction of Executive of the Year that will be bestowed by the Philippine Sportswriters Association on March 16 at Manila Hotel.

Under Salud’s tutelage, Asia’s first pay-for-play league grossed P114 million in a stellar season that saw three different teams winning titles. It was a record-breaking year for the league, which topped the previous all-time gate receipt record of P90 million in 2011.

“The board was unanimous in its choice— there’s no perfect person for the PSA Executive of the Year award than PBA commissioner Chito Salud,” said Tempo sports editor and PSA president Rey Bancod.

Salud, son of the late PBA commissioner lawyer Rodrigo Salud, is the third recipient of the award after Azkals manager Dan Palami in 2010 and Amateur Boxing Association of the Philippines president Ricky Vargas.

Salud joins a stellar list of athletes and sports personalities who will be honored by the PSA.

Leading the honor roll are the four co-winners of the prestigious Athlete of the Year award—world boxing champ Nonito Donaire Jr., world amateur boxing gold medalist Josie Gabuco, world women’s Big League softball titlist Manila, and the Ateneo Blue Eagles.

In another move that could pay dividends in the Fiba Asia Championships that the country will host later in the year, Salud convinced all the league’s 10 teams to allow their players to suit up for the Gilas Pilipinas team.

The awards night is presented by Rain or Shine, Globalport 900, Meralco, Sen. Chiz Escudero, PBA, LBC, Smart, Philippine Sports Commission, ICTSI and Philippine Golf Tour.