Upcoming trackster Jessel Lumapas leads a short but compact list of Tony Siddayao awardees to be recognized in next Tuesday’s SMC-PSA (Philippine Sportswriters Association) Annual Awards Night.
Lumapas, a standout of Nazareth School of National University, will be joined by swimmers Micaela Jasmine Mojdeh and Marc Bryan Dula, along with figure skater Czerrine Ramos in receiving the honor handed out by the sportswriting community to promising athletes 17-years-old-and-below.
Presented by MILO, Cignal TV, and the Philippine Sports Commission, the special event will be held on Feb. 26 at the Centennial Hall – instead of the Maynila Ballroom as earlier announced – of the historic Manila Hotel.
Named after the late veteran sports editor of the Manila Standard Tony Siddayao, considered as the Dean of Philippine sportswriting, prominent figures of the Siddayao awards in the past who went to carve out names in their respective fields include Wesley So (chess), Kiefer Ravena and Jeron Teng (basketball), Doti Ardina (golf), Eumir Marcial (boxing), Rustom Lim (cycling), Malvinne and Markie Alcala (badminton), among others.
On top of the 2018 list is the 17-year-old Lumapas, who was adjudged as the most outstanding athlete in last year’s Palarong Pambansa after winning a total of four gold medals in track and field.
A native of Damarinas, Cavite, she later anchored the country’s campaign in the ASEAN School game in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia by winning two of the Philippines’ six-gold medal haul.
The four recipients of the Siddayao awards make up part of the total 75 honorees to be recognized during the affair also backed by Chooks To Go, NorthPort, Rain or Shine, Tapa King, SM Prime Holdings, ICTSI, Mighty Sports, and the Philippine Basketball Association.
Leading the honor roll are Hidilyn Diaz, golfers Yuka Saso, Bianca Pagdanganan, and Lois Kaye Go, and skateboarder Margielyn Didal, who are all named co-winner of the coveted Athlete of the Year award.