FIVE leading figures who played a major part in shaping Philippine sports will be feted with a Lifetime Achievement Award (LAA) in the San Miguel Corporation-Philippine Sportswriters Association 2025 Awards Night on Feb. 16 at the Diamond Hotel Manila.
The choices of the country’s oldest media organization under its president Francis TJ Ochoa, sports editor of the Philippine Daily Inquirer, as Lifetime Achievers include the celebrated 1991 Philippine Davis Cup team, boxing’s beloved Elorde family, officiating guru Romeo ‘Romy’ Guevara, former commissioner and current weightlifting president Monico Puentevella, and Woman National Master Milagros ‘Mila’ Emperado.
The quintet is the latest batch to be recognized with the special honor to be given out during the formal gala night co-presented by the Philippine Sports Commission with ArenaPlus.
Heading the list of the 2025 honor roll are Olympic double gold medalists Carlos Yulo and young tennis sweetheart Alex Eala, who will be distinguished as the Male and Female Athletes of the Year in the two-hour celebration backed by major supporters Philippine Olympic Committee, Milo, Cignal, Premier Volleyball League, Philippine Basketball Association, Akari, Rain or Shine, Capital1 Solar Energy, and Acrocity.
Led by the talented trio of Felix Barrientos, Roland So, and Camoy Palahang, the Philippine Davis Cup team defied the odds by advancing to the World Group qualifier after beating world powerhouse Japan in the quarterfinals and routing China in the semifinals.
Even after the demise of its famous patriarch in boxing legend and Hall of Famer Gabriel ‘Flash’ Elorde, the family continued to support the sport through the efforts of the late Laura Elorde – the widow of the former world champion – and her children by promoting fight cards nationwide for almost five decades now, and producing future world title holders and contenders in the process.
Guevara for his part, was considered the country’s expert in basketball officiating, who did the works in all of the major local leagues, from the old MICAA, the UAAP and NCAA, PABL, and the PBA, where he served as official, supervisor, and consultant.
Emperado was among the pioneers in women’s chess in the Philippines.
Puentevella was a former commissioner of the PSC (1996-2001) before becoming the head of the Samahang Weightlifting ng Pilipinas. TMT