THE PHILIPPINE Sportswriters Association is set to acknowledge the best of Philippine sports in the previous year at the SMC-PSA Annual Awards Night late yesterday.
Filipino superstars Eduard “Landslide” Folayang, Kevin “The Silencer” Belingon, Geje “Gravity” Eustaquio, Joshua “The Passion” Pacio and Brandon “The Truth” Vera are set to be cited after claiming World Title victories in ONE Championship.
They accumulated an astonishing record of 12-0 last year as the Filipino athletes shone in The Home Of Martial Arts.
“It’s an honor definitely,” Folayang said.
“It’s always a blessing to be in this position and be recognized for what we do. We hope that through this, we will continue to inspire others.”
Folayang reclaimed his ONE Lightweight World Title when he defeated Singapore’s Amir Khan by way of unanimous decision last November at ONE: CONQUEST OF CHAMPIONS, the same night Vera defended his ONE Heavyweight World Title against Mauro “The Hammer” Cerilli of Italy.
Belingon finally got his hands on the ONE Bantamweight World Champion when he defeated Bibiano Fernandes via split decision in a highly-anticipated rematch at ONE: HEART OF THE LION this past November.
They will be joined by several notable names in other sports which include WBO mini flyweight champion Vic Saludar and Manny Pacquiao’s trainer Buboy Fernandez Weightlifter Hidilyn Diaz, skateboarder Margielyn Didal, and golfers Yuka Saso, Bianca Pagdanganan, and Lois Kaye Go, all gold medal winners at the 2018 Asian Games will be awarded with the coveted Athlete of the Year honors.

CEBU CITY — The 33^rd Philippine Airlines Seniors Interclub golf team championships get under way Wednesday with defending champion Canlubang and 16-time titlist Luisita kicking off their showdown at the Alta Vista Golf Club, a mountain course designed by Gary Player.
Both teams made only one change in their respective lineups with Tommy Manotoc returning for Canlubang and former pro Demy Saclot debuting for Luisita.
Except for Dave Hernandez, Canlubang will be represented by the same team that beat Luisita by eight points last year in Bacolod City. They are brothers Abe and Pem Rosal, Rolly Viray, Mari Hechanova, Abe Avena, Zaldy Villa and Damasus Wong.
Luisita, which last won the crown in 2017, also fielded the same players that played last year, namely: Eddie Bagtas, Benjie Sumulong, Rodel Mangulabnan, Raffy Garcia, Chino Raymundo, Edmund Yee and Chito Laureta.
With the addition of Manotoc, a fixture in many champion teams, Canlubang remains a formidable squad, but Luisita captain Jeric Hechanova is unfazed.
“In the end, it’s up to our team to perform and not worry about the other team,” Hechanova said.
Hechanova said all his players are playing well in the run-up to the Interclub, particularly Mangulabnan, the reigning national seniors champion.
Cebu Country Club and Del Monte complete the cast in the championship division. A record field of 108 teams is seeing action in the four-day event that will also be played at the Club Filipino de Cebu.
The Molave scoring system will be used in the four-to-play, three-to-count event. Par is worth 3 points and regulation play is equivalent to 54 points.

AFTER conquering the 9,262-ft Mount Apo in just six hours, 27-year-old Filipina mountaineer Carla Kaya Tumaliuan is setting her sights next on Mount Everest, the world’s tallest mountain.
To be physically prepared for the Everest climb, Ms. Tumaliuan trains herself through regular climbs, crampons training, bouldering, running, and practices of her knot-tying skills. As part of her training, she did a trail run at the country’s highest peak with her two friends and their guide.
Ms. Tumaliuan’s admiration of nature’s unadulterated beauty and her desire to share it with others inspired her to become a mountaineer. During her Mount Apo hike, she reached the summit through geothermal company Energy Development Corp.’s (EDC) Executive Trail, which passes through EDC’s geothermal reservation.
“To be honest, it was the best climb and the best trail I ever had. I did not expect the trail to be that beautiful. I really saw how EDC took care of the trail and preserved the nature there. I was in awe even of the tree nursery they have there. I would like to climb again using the same trail,” Ms. Tumaliuan said.
“I am really grateful towards the Kidapawan Tourism Office, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), and EDC. All of them helped make our climb possible, and they all cheered us on during the climb,” she added.
Ms. Tumaliuan also shared that while her training is exhausting, the financial aspect of her preparation is equally challenging. She is currently looking for groups and individuals to help support her Everest bid.
“Climbing Everest is every mountaineer’s dream. I’m not asking sponsors to just support me. In sponsoring my Everest bet, I want to share my blessings by sending children to school and to complete their studies. If I can make it to Everest, I hope these kids can feel like they can achieve anything,” she said.
For parties interested to provide logistical and financial support to help Kaya Tumaliuan’s training and Mt. Everest climb, contact her at (0999) 524 6736 or itsmekayathegreat@gmail.com.

LOS ANGELES — James Harden and Chris Paul combined for 48 points and the host Houston Rockets withstood a career night from Atlanta Hawks rookie guard Trae Young in their 119-111 win on Monday.
Harden had his streak of consecutive 30-point games come to an end at 32, posting 28 points despite finishing 0 for 10 on 3-pointers. Harden had an opportunity to pursue an extension of the streak, the second-longest in league history, but he dribbled out the clock with the win secure.
Paul added 20 points, eight assists and six rebounds and carried the Rockets to a 10-point lead entering the fourth quarter with a show of force down the stretch of the third.
Four other Houston Rockets player scored in double figures, with Eric Gordon scoring 16 off the bench after being replaced in the starting lineup by Kenneth Faried (13 points, 10 rebounds, two blocked shots).
Young paired 36 points on 8-of-12 shooting from 3-point range with eight assists. The Hawks shot 17 of 38 from deep, with three others joining Young by making multiple treys. Forward John Collins chipped in 20 points and 12 rebounds for the Hawks.
Despite shooting the lights out in the first quarter, the Rockets never seized complete control of the contest.
Houston finished six of 11 from deep in the opening frame, but the Hawks shot six of 10 on treys. And despite Harden and Paul combining for 16 points and the Rockets converting 61.9% of their overall shot attempts, their 11-point lead entering the second quarter felt tenuous.
Young was the reason. Atlanta trailed by as many as 12 points in the second before Young sparked a comeback with 12 points in the period. His 3-pointer pulled the Hawks even at 56-56 with 3:29 left in the half, and Young added two free throws at the 2:03 mark for a two-point lead.
CONLEY, GRIZZLIES SNAP SKID WITH WIN OVER LAKERS
Mike Conley scored 30 points and the Memphis Grizzlies ended a four-game losing streak with a 110-105 win against the visiting Los Angeles Lakers on Monday.
Jonas Valanciunas had 20 points and 13 rebounds, Avery Bradley scored 15, and Joakim Noah finished with 14 points and 12 rebounds off the bench for Memphis.
LeBron James had 24 points, 12 rebounds and 11 assists, Brandon Ingram scored 32 points, and Kyle Kuzma finished with 22 points for the Lakers, who went 0-2 on the brief road trip.
James — who became the first player in NBA history to move into the top 10 in both career assists and career points — scored on a fast break with a minute left, but missed the free throw on the potential three-point play to keep the deficit at 105-103. The Grizzlies shot 5-for-8 from the free throw line over the final 40 seconds, but the Lakers couldn’t pull any closer.
Memphis, which came in last in the NBA in scoring at 100.8 points a game, had 61 points and a five-point lead at the half.
As they did in the second quarter, the Lakers managed to pull back into a tie with Memphis during the third, but couldn’t regain a lead they lost in the final minutes of the opening quarter.
Neither team scored the first three-plus minutes of the fourth before Noah’s dunk gave Memphis an 89-81 lead with 8:44 left.
The start of the game featured 12 lead changes through the first 5:45. Neither team led by more than four until Conley sank a 3-pointer for a five-point lead with 8.8 seconds left in the first quarter, and the Grizzlies took a 34-31 advantage into the second.
76ERS BARELY HOLD OFF PELICANS
Tobias Harris scored 29 as the visiting Philadelphia 76ers held on to defeat the New Orleans Pelicans 111-110 on Monday night.
After Julius Randle scored on a dunk to pull New Orleans within one point with 10.9 seconds left, Philadelphia’s Jonathon Simmons missed two free throws with 9.7 seconds to go, giving the Pelicans a chance to take the lead. However, Jimmy Butler got a hand on E’Twaun Moore’s 3-point attempt, forcing a miss just before the buzzer.
The 76ers led by 17 points early in the second half.
JJ Redick added 16 points, Ben Simmons had 14 points and 12 rebounds, Mike Scott scored 12 points, and Butler had 11 points for the 76ers. Boban Marjanovic contributed 12 points and 10 rebounds before being helped from the court after sustaining a knee injury late in the fourth quarter.
Sixers All-Star Center Joel Embiid sat out his third consecutive game to rest a sore left knee.
Jrue Holiday led the Pelicans with 22 points, and Randle had 19 points and 14 rebounds. Anthony Davis, who returned to the lineup after sitting out a 128-115 victory against the Los Angeles Lakers to rest Saturday night, had 18 points, and Elfrid Payton added 10 points and 14 assists.
Butler made consecutive jumpers to give Philadelphia a 110-100 lead with 2:48 left, but New Orleans scored four straight points.
Holiday’s 3-pointer cut the margin to three, and the Pelicans had two chances to get closer, but Holiday committed a turnover and then missed a 3-point attempt with 45.7 seconds left.
After a missed 3-point try by Harris, New Orleans got the ball back with 20.8 seconds remaining.
After Holiday made one of two free throws, Harris did the same with 16.4 seconds left, setting up the late-game drama. — Reuters