Young achievers to be honored in PSA Awards

A TOUCH of youth will be offered come the January 29 staging of the San Miguel CorporationPhilippine Sportswriters Association (SMC-PSA) Awards Night at the Diamond Hotel in Manila.

Twelve young athletes who showed loads of potential in 2023 are the newest recipients of the Tony Siddayao Awards from the country’s oldest media organization.

Weightlifter Angeline Colonia leads the youth brigade to be bestowed with the award given to promising athletes 18 years old and below.

The honor is named after the late Manila Standard sports editor Antonio “Tony” Siddayao, acknowledged as the Dean of Philippine sports writing.

Colonia, 16, bannered the country’s campaign in the 2023 Asian Youth and Junior Weightlifting Championships in New Delhi, Indonesia, where she bagged three gold medals in the women’s 45 kg category.

Joining Colonia in the 12-athlete list are fellow weightlifters Prince Keil de los Santos and Eron Borres, gymnast Karl Eldrew Yulo, chess player Christian Gian Karlo Arca, karateka Sebastian Neil Manalac, golfer Alethea Gaccion, modern pentathlon’s Joseph Anthony Godbout, muay thai’s Jan Brix Ramiscal, taekwondo jin Tachiana Kezhia Mangin, obstacle course’s Trisha Mae Del Rosario, and Aleia Aielle Aguilar of jiu-jitsu. Registration starts at 6 p.m. Awardees and guests who failed to personally receive a hard copy of their respective invitations, can get it directly at the registration table of the venue during the program.

World no. 2 pole vaulter Ernest John “EJ” Obiena will be the recipient of the highest honor given by the country’s sports writing fraternity after being voted as the 2023 Athlete of the Year.