MANILA, Philippines – The quest for more glory resumes for Carlos Yulo.
Yulo said he is back in training after receiving the Athlete of the Year plum during the Philippine Sportswriters Association (PSA) Awards Night at the Manila Hotel on Monday, January 27.
The gymnastics star scored his first Athlete of the Year honors after a historic run in the Paris Games, where he became the Philippines’ first double Olympic gold medalist.
He took a well-deserved break after the Games and returned to training only this January to gear up for a busy year that will see him compete in the Asian Artistic Gymnastics Championships in June, World Artistic Gymnastics Championship in October, and the Southeast Asian Games in December.
Yulo said he was taking things slow to avoid injuries as he hoped to shake off the rust from his long layoff.
“My body hurts,” said Yulo in jest when asked about going back to training. “I’ll just keep on pushing. I’ll get there anytime.”
Yulo proved to be the star of the show on a night the PSA brought together the greatest athletes in the history of the country, including Olympians from past decades.
The PSA feted the likes of basketball legend Freddie Webb, who also served as guest speaker, swimming star Akiko Thomson Guevara, and boxing medalists Roel and Onyok Velasco, to name a few.
Ending the Philippines’ near-century-long search for the elusive Olympic gold medal following her landmark triumph in the Tokyo Games in 2021, weightlifting heroine Hidilyn Diaz joined Filipino sporting greats in the PSA Hall of Fame.
Diaz now belongs in the company of Hall of Famers Manny Pacquiao (boxing), Paeng Nepomuceno (bowling), Efren “Bata” Reyes (billiards), Lydia de Vega (athletics), Eugene Torre (chess), and Bong Coo (bowling).
Boxers Nesthy Petecio and Aira Villegas were also recognized with the President’s Award for each taking home a bronze in the previous Olympics.
Philippine Olympic Committee president Abraham “Bambol” Tolentino won the Executive of the Year for the Philippines’ best-ever Olympic campaign, while the Gymnastics Association of the Philippines earned the NSA of the Year.
Other awardees include Jia Morado-De Guzman (Ms. Volleyball), June Mar Fajardo (professional Mr. Basketball), and Kevin Quiambao (amateur Mr. Basketball). – Rappler.com