Pacquiao heads contenders for PSA top award
By Marlon Bernardino
PhilBoxing.com
Thu, 21 Dec 2006
(MANILA) FROM Manny Pacquiao, Ronnie Alcano to Leo Oracion, just about everybody who made 2006 a bumper crop for Philippine sport stand as a strong contender for Athlete of the Year honor.
The three, along with eight others, are the frontrunners for the top award to be handed out by the Philippine Sportswriters Association in its Annual Awards next month. Pacquiao, a three-time Athlete of the Year winner, is again in contention for the award along with Alcano and fellow cue artist Efren `Bata’ Reyes, bowler Biboy Rivera, Oracion and fellow Mt. Everest conquerors Pastor Emata and Romy Garduche, and Doha Asian Games gold medalists Antonio Gabica, Joan Tipon, Violito Payla and Rene Catalan.
Last year, Team Philippines was the recipient of the PSA’s highest award after emerging as overall champion for the first time ever in the Southeast Asian Games. “This is the first time in a long while that a long list of contenders is vying for the Athlete of the Year award. It’s a clear proof that Philippine sports is very much alive,” said PSA president Jimmy Cantor.
The 28-year-old Pacquiao, feted as Athlete of the Year from 2002-04, won all his three fights this the year, including two sensational knockout victories over legendary Mexican warrior Eric Morales in a trilogy that has the trimmings of a classic.
Alcano’s bid is bolstered by his inspiring triumph in the World Pool Championship held in the country for the first time last month.
Given up for dead after losing his first two matches in the group stages, the 34-year-old cue artist from Calamba, Laguna, made it to the knockout stage at the last minute and went on a roll, beating seeded players along the way and capping his Cinderella story with an 17-11 upset of former champion Ralf Souquet in the final.
Reyes was among those whom Alcano defeated on the way to his World Pool title run, but the 51-year–old billiards all-of-Famer is making a strong case for himself on account of his spectacular victories in the inaugural World Cup of Pool in South Wales, the San Miguel Asian 9-Ball Tour and the IPT World 8-Ball Championship in Las Vegas.
In winning the 8-ball title at the expense of American Rodney Morris, Reyes won $500,000, easily the biggest ever prize purse in the history of the sport. Reyes was the recipient of the Athlete of the Year award in 1999 and 2001.
Rivera is the latest bowler to contend for the award following his scintillating triumph in the World Men’s Bowling Championship in Busan, South Korea. The 32-year old Santo Tomas Tourism graduate delivered under pressure by scoring a perfect game to clinch the Masters crown over Achim Grabowsky of Germany 3-2.
It was the third perfect game registered during the meet, but only the 13th in the annals of the tournament formerly known as the FIQ. Not to be outdone are the quartet of Gabica, Payla, Tipon and Catalan.
Their combined four gold medal haul in the recent Doha Asiad helped the country surpass its output in Busan four years ago and produced the best showing by the Filipinos in the quadrennial meet in the last 28 years.
Gabica provided the first RP gold in Qatar by beating Jeff `Bata’ de Luna 11-7 in an all-Filipino 9-ball final.
Boxers Payla and Tipon followed suit, hacking out impressive victories against a former world champion from Thailand and a rising pug from Korea in the gold medal matches. Payla, 27, hammered out a 31-15 victory over Thai Somjit Jongjohor in the men’s flyweight class, while Tipon made short work of Han Soon Chui 21-10 in the bantamweight division for a fitting follow-up to his conquest of Athens Olympics silver medalist Worapoj Petchkoom of Thailand in the semifinals. Catalan bagged a first gold for wushu by blanking Vietnamese Phan Quoc Vinh 2-0 in the men’s sanshou 52-kilogram final.
And then, there were the mountain climbers. One after the other, Oracion, Emata and Garduche made the country proud in a two-day stretch last May, becoming the first three Filipinos ever to reach the summit of Mt. Everest.
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Marlon Bernardino.
Recent PhilBoxing.com In-House articles:
ARNOLD BARBOZA JR. AND KENNETH SIMS JR. SET FOR HIGH-STAKES CLASH IN CAN’T-MISS MAIN EVENT ON DAZN
Wed, 18 Feb 2026CALLUM SMITH VS DAVID MORRELL MEGA FIGHT SET FOR APRIL 18 IN LIVERPOOL AS PAT BROWN HEADLINES IN HIS HOMETOWN ON APRIL 3
Wed, 18 Feb 20262026 USA Boxing Youth High Performance Selection Camp Attendees Announced
Wed, 18 Feb 2026Rapid chessfest gets underway February 22
By Marlon Bernardino, Wed, 18 Feb 2026THE PAST WEEK IN ACTION 16 FEBRUARY 2026: Ajagba, Dzambekov, Ruiz Register Stoppage Wins in Zuffa Event
By Eric Armit, Tue, 17 Feb 2026Mexican government and WBC join forces to create mega-project “Boxing for Peace”
By Gabriel F. Cordero, Tue, 17 Feb 2026All eyes on GM Johan-Sebastian Christiansen in Manny Pacquiao International Open dubbed as 87th Kalilangan Chess Festival 2026
By Marlon Bernardino, Tue, 17 Feb 2026WBC Champion Mario “El Azteca” Barrios Locked in for Ryan Garcia Showdown February 21 at T-Mobile Arena
Tue, 17 Feb 2026Dana White mocks traditional boxing promoters: "No contest, it's like hitting babies"
By Gabriel F. Cordero, Tue, 17 Feb 2026LEIGH WOOD OUTLINES PLAN OF ATTACK FOR SOLD OUT REMATCH AGAINST JOSH WARRINGTON
Tue, 17 Feb 2026Cain Velasquez released from a California State prison
By Gabriel F. Cordero, Tue, 17 Feb 2026Patrick Rivera wins Pacman's Cue Club 10-Ball Tournament; pockets P100,000
By Marlon Bernardino, Tue, 17 Feb 2026Undefeated Brooklyn heavyweight Pryce Taylor Fighting again in Detroit this Sunday on Claressa Shields’ card
Tue, 17 Feb 2026TRAINING CAMP NOTES Gabriela Tellez Ready to Make a Statement This Friday in Orlando
Tue, 17 Feb 2026Rapista wins WBC Far East Silver super flyweight title
By Lito delos Reyes, Mon, 16 Feb 2026