PSA honors top Baguio Athletes
FOUR OF Baguio City’s top athletes will be feted by the Philippine Sportswriters Association during the SMC-PSA (Philippine Sportswriters Association) Annual Awards Night at the Maynila Hall of the historic Manila Hotel.
Former One Championship lightweight world champion Eduard Folayang, Southeast Asian Games archery bronze medalist Kareel Meer Caniezo Hongitan, former wushu world champion Divine Wally and Uni Games silver medalist Jomar Balangui, were cited by the country’s sports writers.
The four were given citations for bringing honor to the country in their respective sport.
Folayang successfully defended his light
weight belt in April last year but lost the title against Martin Nguyen in a second round knock-out in November while Hongitan earned a bronze medal during the 2017 edition of the Southeast Asian Games.
Prior to his SEAG stint, Hongitan bagged four gold medals in the 6th Southeast Asian Archery Championships in Yangon, Myanmar held January 19-24 in 2017.
Wally was also cited after becoming the first Filipino to win a gold medal in 13th World Wushu Championship and the 8th Wushu Sanda Championship, and a championship trophy in the 2017 Asian Cup Sanda Championship last year.
University of Baguio pride Balangui meanwhile was feted for his silver medal finish in the men’s sanda 52-kg. division of the prestigious 2017 Summer World University Games wushu competition held at the Hsinchu County Gymnasium in New Taipei Cty, Taiwa in August last year.
The 19-year old Balangui suffered a 02 loss (0-5, 0-5) to his much-older Chinese foe Yuan Peng in the gold-medal match.
Three world champions – boxer Jerwin Ancajas, bowler Krizziah Lyn Tabora, and billiards player Carlo Biado – lead the honor roll as co-recipients of the PSA-Tapa King Athlete of the Year award handed out by the country’s oldest sports media organization.
Folayang, Hongitan, and Wally was earlier feted by the Kafagway International Sports Luminaries Awards by sports writers in Baguio City. Roderick Osis