The nation’s young trailblazers were honored by the Rotary Club of Makati during the second Paing Hechanova Youth Leadership Awards (PHYLA) held Friday night at the Manila Polo Club.

World No. 49-ranked Filipina tennis star Alex Eala and Olympian Kayla Sanchez were among the awardees, receiving the Youth Sports Personalities honors.

Sanchez emerged as the most bemedaled Filipino athlete at the 2025 Southeast Asian Games in Thailand last December, winning three gold and five silver medals.

Eala, meanwhile, enjoyed a breakthrough 2025 season after clinching her first WTA 125 title by winning the Guadalajara Open. She also delivered the Philippines’ first SEA Games women’s singles tennis gold since 1999 and made her Grand Slam debut in the same year.

The awards, organized in partnership with the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC), marked their first edition this year.

Both athletes sent video messages expressing their gratitude upon receiving the awards. They are also set to receive P100,000 each to support their training and athletic development.

PSC Chairman Patrick Gregorio used the occasion to underscore the importance of sustained investment in Philippine sports.

“Please do not look at sports as an expense. It is an investment. It is not just an investment in the youth,” Gregorio said.

“I just have to explain to all of you, please include sports in all your programs. Rotary is a very important component of sports, sports cannot be left out of our CSR and social responsibility,” he added.

Gregorio also highlighted sports tourism as a growing avenue for promoting the Philippines, citing the country’s recent hosting of the Philippine Women’s Open, a WTA 125 tournament.

“It is an investment to promote our beautiful country. Nowadays, we call it sports tourism,” he said.

“The biggest tourism events in the world are sports events,” he added.

Other awardees at the youth-centered event were also recognized for initiatives in fields such as science, the environment, and food security.