THE hunger factor and the right championship pieces finally came together for National University last season when the Bulldogs ended a long, 60-year title drought by winning the UAAP men’s basketball championship.
Hans Sy
But it was the vision of one man which really changed things for the better–Hans Sy, whose family has a majority ownership of the Sampaloc-based school.
The result was a reinvigorating program that saw the school achieve success in various sports, but most especially basketball following the Bulldogs’ historic triumph last year in the championship series opposite Far Eastern University.
For his success in turning things around for the once-maligned NU sports program, Sy will be bestowed with the Executive of the Year honor by the Philippine Sportswriters Association during its Annual Awards Night co-presented by MILO and San Miguel Corp. next week at the 1Esplanade, Pasay City.
Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas president Manny V. Pangilinan, Philippine Azkals team manager Dan Palami, Association of Boxing Alliances in the Philippines chief Ricky Vargas, and Philippine Basketball Association commissioner Chito Salud were some of the distinguished personalities, who received the award from the country’s oldest media organization in the previous stagings of the gala night, which counts on Smart, Meralco, and the MVP Sports Foundation as principal sponsors and the Philippine Sports Commission as major sponsor.
BMX rider Daniel Caluag, who gave the country’s lone gold medal in the Asian Games in Incheon, Korea is the recipient of the prestigious Athlete of the Year award during the Feb. 16 rites also presented by PBA, Maynilad, Accel, National University, El Jose Catering, Air21, Globalport, PAGCOR, ICTSI, Rain or Shine, and PCSO.
Caluag leads the PSA honor roll list for the year 2014 that also included National University (President’s award), MVP Sports Foundation Inc. (Sports Patron of the Year), the 1973 Philippine men’s basketball team (Lifetime Achievement Award), coach Tim Cone (Excellence in Basketball), Mitsubishi (Hall of Fame), Alyssa Valdez (Ms Volleyball), Jean Pierre Sabido (Mr. Taekwondo), and Pirncess Superal and Tony Lascuna (Golfers of the Year).
Recipients of major awards on the other hand, include Donnie Nietes, San Mig Coffee team, Gabriel Luis Moreno, Michael Christian Martinez, San Beda Red Lions, June Mar Fajardo, Kiefer Ravena, Mark Galedo, Daniella Uy, Mikee Charlene Suede, Jessie Aligaga, Jean Claude Saclag, Philippine dragon boat team, Philippine poomsae team (male under 30), Philippine poomsae team (freestyle), Kid Molave, and Jonathan Hernandez.