Rising stars banner NAC Siklab Awards

Tachiana Mangin of taekwondo and weightlifters Angeline Colonia and Lovely Inan will banner the heavy cast of awardees in the NAC Siklab Youth Sports Awards 2024 on Thursday at the Market! Market! Activity Center Ayala Malls BGC after making the country proud on the world stage.

Mangin ruled the women’s -49-kilogram class of the World Taekwondo Junior Championships in Chuncheon, South Korea, the first time a Filipino did so on the global scene in nearly three decades or since Alex Borromeo won the men’s -47kg division during the 1996 worlds in Barcelona, Spain.

Colonia and Inan, meanwhile, topped the women’s 45kg and 49kg categories, respectively, accounting for the two gold medals that ranked the Philippines third overall out of 28 countries in the 2024 International Weightlifting Federation World Junior Championships in Leon, Spain.

Joining them are 2024 US Junior Girls champion Rianne Malixi of golf and Alexander Gabriel Delos Reyes of wushu together Asian junior gymnastics gold medalist Karl Eldrew Yulo and table tennis youth champion Kheith Rhynne Cruz in the awards ceremony backed by the Philippine Sports Commission, MVP Sports Foundation, Ayala Malls and powered by Smart.

Muay thai world-beaters Janbrix Ramiscal and Lyre Anie Ngina, chess Olympiad gold medalist Ruelle Canino head the list in the Super Kids Award category at the gala organized by the Philippine Sports Commission-Philippine Paralympic Committee-Philippine Olympic Committee Media Group.

Four special awards will be handed out to Olympic boxing medalist Nesthy Petecio as this year’s Sports Idol, longtime sports manager Agapito “Terry” Capistrano as Godfather of the Year and noted youth sports supporters Sen. Christopher “Bong” Go (Lifetime Achievement Award) and Quezon City Representative Juan Carlos “Arjo” Atayde (Trailblazer of the Year Award).

The event supported by CEL Logistics, Go For Gold, Milo, San Miguel Corporation, Barley+Wheatgrass Entrepro, Pacquiao Coffee and PLDT will likewise recognize three-time jiu-jitsu world champion Aleia Aielle Aguilar, Palarong Pambansa multiple gold medalist Albert Jose Amaro II of swimming.

Also leading the Rising Youth Stars list are world youth muay champion Royeth Rosa, fencers Yuna Canlas, Willa Galvez, Hagia del Castillo and Nicol Amethyst Canlas along with golfers Francesca Nicole Gaisano Gan, Geoffrey Drew Ong Tan, swimmer Behrouz Mohammad Mojdeh and figure skater Dawn Jasmine Gothong.

A total of 30 awardees are lined up in the Youth Heroes Award, including world youth champion Isabella Butler of ju-jitsu, Ana Bhianca Espenilla of athletics, John Andre Aguja of cycling, JR Pandi of badminton, Brandon Sanchez of baseball, Kieffer Alas of basketball, Marc Dylan Custodio of bowling; Nick Anjelo Payla of boxing, Naina Dominique Tagle of archery, Gavin Moses Bangayan Ti of obstacle course racing, Micaela Jasmine Mojdeh of swimming, Jonathan Reyes of squash, Jeniva Consigna of sambo, Joseph Godbout of modern pentathlon, and Asian age-group swimming gold medalist Jamesray Mishael Ajido.