World Championship medalists Carlos Yulo and EJ Obiena, along with history maker Philippine women’s football team will be the recipient of Major Awards in next month’s San Miguel Corporation-Philippine Sportswriters Association (SMC-PSA) Awards Night at the grand ballroom of the Diamond Hotel.
Yulo clinched a silver and bronze in the men’s vault and parallel bars during the 51st FIG Artistic Gymnastics World Championships in Liverpool England, while Obiena vaulted to a new Asian-high mark of 5.94 meters on his way to bagging a historic bronze in the World Athletics Championships in Oregon.
And the Filipinas? They just punched a first ever ticket to the FIFA Women’s World Cup following their third place finish in the AFC Women’s Asian Cup under coach Alen Stajcic.
Twelve others are also going to be given Major Awards in the March 6 gala night presented by the Philippine Sports Commission and Cignal TV, and backed by the Philippine Olympic Committee, Tagaytay City Mayor Abraham ‘Bambol’ Tolentino, MILO, Smart, MVP Sports Foundation, Rain or Shine, 1Pacman Rep. Mikee Romero, Philippine Basketball Association, OKBet, and ICTSI.
In the mix with Yulo, Obiena, and Filipinas are boxer Carlo Paalam, jui-jitsu bets Meggie Ochoa and Kimberly Anne Custodio, karateka Junna Tsukii, pool players Rubilen Amit, Carlo Biado, and Johann Chua, weightlifter Vanessa Sarno, the volleyball duo of Jovelyn Gonzaga and Sisi Rondina, Esports organization Blacklist International, jockey Jessie Guca, and champion horse Boss Emong.
The country’s first ever Olympic gold medalist Hidilyn Diaz is the recipient of the coveted Athlete of the Year award for the second straight time.
Aside from his World Championship stint, Yulo, 22 also won three gold medals in the 9th Artistic Gymnastics Championships in Doha, Qatar, following his first place finishes in the vault, parallel bars, and floor exercise, while adding a silver in the all-around. The feat enabled him to earn an outright berth in the World Artistic Gymnastics.
The Filipino gymnast emerged, too as the most bemedalled athlete of Team Philippines in the 31st Southeast Asian Games in Vietnam with five golds won in artistic all-around, floor exercise, still rings, vault, and horizontal bar.
Obiena also topped a number of pole vault tournaments in Europe and retained his gold in the Vietnam SEA Games by setting a new meet record of 5.46 meters at the My Dinh National Stadium.
The Filipinas added to their FIFA World Cup ticket a first ever title in the Asean Football Federation Women’s Championship, which they ruled following a 3-0 shutout of four-time champion Thailand in the gold medal play.
