# 2021 PSA Annual Awards

The 2021 San Miguel Corporation (SMC) - Philippine Sportswriters Association Annual Awards was an annual awarding ceremony honoring the top sports personalities (athletes, coaches - living and deceased, national sports associations & organizations) who made tremendous contribution to Philippine sports in the year 2020 despite the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the postponement and cancellation of major sports events in the country within the first months of the community quarantine and the resumption of sporting tournaments under the bubble setup.
The awards night was held on March 27, 2021. For the first time in the history of the awards and in time of the COVID-19 pandemic, this year's edition was staged via hybrid or virtual format, with most of the awardees, including those who reside and train overseas, hooked up online and the awards proper was conducted at the TV5 Media Center in Mandaluyong. The PSA Awards was aired via delayed telecast on One Sports+ Channel, the following day.
William "Butch" Ramirez, Chairperson of the Philippine Sports Commission, served as the guest speaker of the awards night.
The organizer, Philippine Sportswriters Association, under its president Eriberto "Tito" S. Talao of Manila Bulletin is considered as the country's oldest media organization, with membership consisting of sportswriters, section editors and columnists from various sports websites, newspapers and tabloids in the Philippines.

## Honor roll
### Main awards

The following are the list of main awards of the event.

#### Athlete of the Year

For her back-to-back championship triumphs in the NEC Karuizawa Championship and the Nitori Ladies Golf Tournament of LPGA of Japan Tour last year, Fil-Japanese professional golfer Yuka Saso was named as the Athlete of the Year of the PSA.
This is the second time that Saso bagged the prestigious award, as she have won the same honors in the 2019 PSA Annual Awards, along with 2018 Asian Games gold medalists Bianca Pagdanganan and Lois Kaye Go of golf, Hidilyn Diaz of weightlifting and Margielyn Didal of skateboarding.
| Award | Winner | Sport | References |
| Athlete of the Year | Yuka Saso | Golf | |

#### Other major awardees

Here are the other major awards to be conferred in the Awards Night.
| Award | Winner | Sport/Team/Recognition |
| Lifetime Achievement Award | Eduardo "Danding" Cojuangco (Posthumous) | Basketball (Long-time supporter of Philippine Basketball; patron of Northern Consolidated, San Miguel Corporation and DLSU Green Archers basketball teams) |
| Lifetime Achievement Award | Jose "Joey" Romasanta | Volleyball (One-time Gintong Alay project director; former 1st vice president, Philippine Olympic Committee; former president, Philippine Karatedo Federation & Larong Volleyball sa Pilipinas, Inc.) |
| Lifetime Achievement Award | Renauld "Sonny" Barrios | Basketball (Former commissioner, Philippine Basketball Association; executive director, Samahang Basketball ng Pilipinas) |
| National Sports Association of the Year | Association of Boxing Alliances in the Philippines (ABAP) | Boxing (Bagging 4 2021 Tokyo Olympics berths for Boxing: Eumir Marcial, Irish Magno, Carlo Paalam & Nesthy Petecio) |
| President's Award | Abraham "Bambol" Tolentino | Cycling (President, Philippine Olympic Committee and Integrated Cycling Federation of the Philippines) |
| Executive of the Year | Willie Marcial | Basketball (Commissioner, Philippine Basketball Association) |
| Chooks-to-Go Fan Favorite "Manok ng Bayan" Award | Manny Pacquiao | Boxing (8-Time World Boxing Champion, Philippine Senator & Philanthropist / For helping the countrymen affected by the COVID-19 pandemic) |
| Special Recognition | Soldier-Athletes/Frontliners (i.e. Nikko Huelgas, Maria Claire Adorna, Jovelyn Gonzaga) | For their outstanding service and bravery to help the Filipinos in time of COVID-19 pandemic |

### Major awardees

Sorted in alphabetical order (based on their surnames).
| Winner | Sport/Team/Recognition | References |
| Johnriel Casimero | Professional Boxing (WBO Bantamweight Champion) | < |
| Alex Eala | Tennis (2020 Australian Open Junior Girls Doubles Titlist) | < |
| Pedro Taduran | Professional Boxing (Former IBF Minimumweight Champion) | < |

### Citations

Sorted in alphabetical order (based on their surnames).
| Winner | Sport/Team/Recognition |
| Chooks-to-Go Pilipinas 3x3 | Basketball (For successfully holding the bubble tournament) |
| James de los Santos | Karate (Winning 48 (as of March 2021) gold medals in e-Kata international competitions) |
| Hidilyn Diaz | Weightlifting (Gold Medalist, 2020 Roma Weightlifting World Cup) |
| Margielyn Didal | Skateboarding (Gold Medalist, Asian Skateboarding Championships 2020 Online Skate Lockdown Video Competition & Silver Medalist, 2020 Madrid Urban Sports Virtual Tournament) |
| Christine Organiza-Hallasgo | Athletics (Marathon) (Champion, 2020 Milo Marathon National Finals) |
| Kristina Knott | Athletics (Sprint) (Philippine Record Holder, 100-meter and 200-meter dash) |
| Irish Magno | Boxing (First Filipina Boxing Olympian, 2021 Tokyo Olympics) |
| Eumir Felix Marcial | Boxing (Boxing Olympian, 2021 Tokyo Olympics & Professional Boxer) |
| William Morrison | Athletics (Shot Put) (Gold Medalist, 2019 Southeast Asian Games) |
| National Basketball League-Philippines | Basketball (For successfully holding the bubble tournament) |
| Ernest Obiena | Athletics (Pole Vault) (Athletics Olympian, 2021 Tokyo Olympics & Gold Medalist, 59th Ostrava Golden Spike Tournament) |
| George Luis Oconer | Cycling (Individual Champion, 2020 Ronda Pilipinas) |
| Motic Panugalinog | Skateboarding (Gold Medalist, Asian Skateboarding Championships 2020 Online Skate Lockdown Video Competition) |
| Philippine Basketball Association | Basketball (For successfully holding the bubble tournament) |
| Philippines Football League | Football (For successfully holding the bubble tournament) |
| Philippine Navy-Standard Insurance Team | Cycling (Team Champion, 2020 Ronda Pilipinas) |
| Vanessa Sarno | Weightlifting (Gold Medalist, 2020 IWF Online World Cup) |
| Sander Severino | Para Chess (Champion, 2020 IPDCA Online World Chess Championship) |
| Sydney Sy-Tancontian | Sambo (Bronze Medalist, 2020 World Sambo Championships) |
| Natalie Uy | Athletics (Pole Vault) (Philippine Record Holder, Women's Pole Vault) |

### Posthumous Honors

The following recognitions, will be bestowed upon former national & collegiate athletes, officials and sports personalities who passed away in 2020. They will be honor with a short audio-video presentation and a one-minute moment of silence.
| Winner | Sport/Team/Recognition | Date of Death |
| Albert Almendralejo | Basketball/Football (Documentarist and Supporter of Philippine Football & San Beda University Basketball Team) | August 7 |
| Salvador "Buddy" Andrada | Tennis (Former President, Philippine Tennis Association) | April 8 |
| Jomar Ang | Karting (Former Member, Ateneo Judo Team & Champion Karter) | April 8 |
| Alyana Bautista | Football (Recruited Member, Ateneo Football Team) | July 23 |
| Oscar "Dodong" Bascon | Basketball (Former Team Manager, Negros Slashers) | July 22 |
| Orlando Bauzon | Basketball (Basketball Olympian, 1968 Summer Olympics) | September 5 |
| WIM Arianne Caoili | Chess (Filipino-Australian Chess Champion) | March 30 |
| Eduardo "Danding" Cojuangco | Basketball (Former Chairman, San Miguel Corporation) | June 16 |
| Sudan Daniel | Basketball (Most Valuable Player, NCAA Season 86 Men's Basketball - San Beda Red Lions) | December 26 |
| Vangie de Jesus | Volleyball (Former Team Captain, Philippines national women's volleyball team in 1977, 1979 and 1981 Southeast Asian Games) | November 21 |
| Aric Del Rosario | Basketball (Former Head Coach, UST Growling Tigers Men's Basketball Team) | March 25 |
| Rudy del Rosario | Football (Former Team Captain, Philippine Azkals and Founder, Kaya F.C.–Iloilo) | November 20 |
| Ronald Dulay | Volleyball (Former Assistant Coach, Philippines national women's volleyball team in 2005 Southeast Asian Games) | August 3 |
| Laura Elorde | Boxing (Widow of Filipino Boxing Champion Gabriel "Flash" Elorde) | May 3 |
| Maui Huelar | Basketball (Former Player, Negros Slashers) | April 16 |
| Celestina Beatrice Luna | Football (Member, Philippines under-15 girls football team) | May 26 |
| Nic Jorge | Basketball (Former Head Coach, Philippines national men's basketball team and Founder, Milo Best Center) | June 13 |
| Alexander Lim | Bowling (Treasurer & Board of Trustee, Philippine Bowling Federation) | April 1 |
| Alfonso "Boy" Marquez | Basketball (Basketball Olympian, 1968 Summer Olympics) | April 15 |
| Teddyvic Melendres | Sportswriting (Former Sports Editor, Philippine Daily Inquirer & Former President, Philippine Sportswriters Association) | December 26 |
| Junel Mendiola | Basketball (Former Player, Purefoods T.J. Hotdogs) | June 16 |
| Rico Navarro | Basketball/Sportswriting (Regional Director for Central Visayas, Samahang Basketball ng Pilipinas & Sports Columnist, The Freeman) | October 27 |
| Oliver Ongtawco | Bowling (Champion, 1978 FIQ World Tenpin Bowling Championships) | June 8 |
| Gene Poliarco | Chess (Long-time Filipino International Chess Arbiter) | April 5 |
| Iñaki Vicente | Football (Former Member, Philippines men's national football team) | January 9 |
| Josie Veguillas | Ice skating (President, Philippine Skating Union) | November 2 |
| Domingo "Coach Waray" Villanueva | Cycling (Cycling Olympian, 1988 & 1992 Summer Olympics) | April 7 |
| Randy Villanueva | Tennis (Former Vice President, Philippine Tennis Association) | October 27 |