PSA honors SEAG heroes

The gold medalists in the 33rd Southeast Asian Games (SEAG) lead a long list of personalities to be given out with citations in the 2025 Philippine Sportswriters Association (PSA)-San Miguel Corporation Awards Night slated on 16 February at the Diamond Hotel Manila.

Three-gold medal winner Kayla Sanchez spearheads the Philippine team contingent that scored significant victories in a two-week stretch of December in Bangkok and Chonburi, Thailand.

Sanchez emerged as the most bemedaled Filipino athlete from the largest Philippine delegation to be ever sent in the biennial meet as she also bagged five silver medals in swimming

Filipinas made history by capturing the country’s first ever football gold in SEA Games history, the same with the beach volleyball team of Sisi Rondina, Bernadeth Pons, Sunnie Villapando and Diij Rodriguez.

Likewise making their presence felt were Peter Groseclose in the men’s 500-meter speed skating, EJ Obiena in men’s pole vault and the rest of the track and field team, the Gilas Pilipinas men and women’s basketball squads, the practical shooting unit led by world champion Rolly Tecson, Kira Ellis and the triathlon group, among others.

Also part of the gold-winning national team is rising tennis star Alex Eala, who will be honored with the Athlete of the Year award together with two-time Olympic gold medalist Carlos Yulo in the gala night co-presented by ArenaPlus and the Philippine Sports Commission.

The 20-year-old Eala ended the country’s 26-year drought in the sport with her triumph in the women’s singles and helped the 1,200-strong Philippine contingent finish sixth overall with a total of 50 gold, 73 silver, and 154 bronze medals.

Outside of the SEA Games gold winners, Grandmaster Joey Antonio and two-time World 10-ball and 9-ball champion Rubilen Amit banner the others to be cited by the country’s oldest media organization in the event also backed by major sponsors Philippine Olympic Committee, MILO, Cignal, Premier Volleyball League, Philippine Basketball Association, Akari, Rain or Shine, Capital1 Solar Energy and Acrocity.

Jemaicah Mendoza, Jennifer Tan Uy, Regie Ramirez, Darry Bernardo, Cheyzer Mendoza, Joshua Pacio, Carlos Baylon Jr., the women’s ice hockey team, and Sean Gibbons are likewise receiving citations during the traditional awards night.