THE championship was ripe for the picking for a National University (NU) squad that has not won in a University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) men’s basketball for six decades.

And with the right pieces and the hunger for the crown reaching fever-pitch, there was no denying the Bulldogs to stand atop the UAAP basketball totem pole in Season 77.

But one important ingredient keeps popping out of that NU success.

It was the vision of one man that changed things for the better for a school whose sports program was once considered moribund.

Hans Sy, whose family now owns the majority of the Sampaloc-based school since 2008, was credited for generosity that translated to an aggressive basketball program to revive the university and repair the Bulldogs’ tarnished reputation.

The result was a reinvigorating program that saw the school achieve success in various sports, most especially in men’s basketball that earned the Bulldogs a historic triumph against Far Eastern University in 2014.

For his success in turning things around for the once-maligned NU sports program, Sy will be bestowed the Executive of the Year honors by the Philippine Sportswriters Association during its Annual Awards Night, copresented by Milo and San Miguel Corp., next week at the 1Esplanade in Pasay City.

Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas President Manuel V. Pangilinan, Azkals Team Manager Dan Palami, Association of Boxing Alliances in the Philippines Chief Ricky Vargas and Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) Commissioner Chito Salud were some of the distinguished personalities who received the award from the country’s oldest media organization in previous staging of the gala night, which counts Smart, Meralco and the MVP Sports Foundation as principal sponsors and the Philippine Sports Commission as major sponsor.

BMX rider Daniel Caluag, who won for the country its lone gold medal in the 17th Asian Games in Incheon, South Korea, is the recipient of the prestigious Athlete of the Year award during the February 16 ceremony also presented by the PBA, Maynilad, Accel, National University, El Jose Catering, Air21, GlobalPort, Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp., International Container Terminal Services Inc., Rain or Shine and the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office.

Caluag leads the honor roll for 2014 that includes the 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 Princess Superal and Tony Lascuña (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, the San Beda Red Lions, June Mar Fajardo, Kiefer Ravena, Mark Galedo, Daniella Uy, Mikee Charlene Suede, Jessie Aligaga, Jean Claude Saclag, the Philippine dragon-boat team, the Philippine poomsae team (male under-30), the Philippine poomsae team (freestyle), Kid Molave and Jonathan Hernandez.