FOR putting a premium on grassroots sports development, Quezon City first district Rep. Juan Carlos “Arjo” Atayde will be honored with the Trailblazer of the Year award in the Nickel Asia Corporation Siklab Youth Sports Awards 2024 tomorrow, Thursday, at the Market! Market! Activity Center, Ayala Malls BGC in Taguig City.
Atayde’s efforts as a prime mover of the Youth Football League (YFL) will be recognized as well as for establishing the D1 basketball and volleyball leagues for the youth in Quezon City’s first district where tournaments are being shown live on Facebook daily to inspire more kids to get into sports.
The QC District 1 Warriors, the team formed and supported by Atayde, crowned themselves champions of the 2024 CLS Cup in Indonesia last June after beating ACBA Tigers Sydney in the final.
The actor-lawmaker is also a staunch supporter of the QCSEP fencing team of City Councilor Joseph Juico that produced the likes of Paris Olympian Samantha Catantan while giving life-changing opportunities through the YFL with his uncle YFL president Mike Atayde in discovering and developing 18-and-under talents over the years.
Organized by the Philippine Sports Commission-Philippine Paralympic Committee-Philippine Olympic Committee Media Group (PSC-PPC-POC Media Group), the Siklab Youth Sports Awards’ Trailblazer of the Year plum is awarded to outstanding individuals who promote quality grassroots sports development and have made a massive impact on the sporting community.
Three more special awards will be presented to Olympic boxing medalist Nesthy Petecio as this year’s Sports Idol, longtime sports manager Agapito “Terry” Capistrano as Godfather of the Year and youth sports supporter Sen. Bong Go as the recipient of the Lifetime Achievement Award.
A total of 80 youth and junior athletes from 37 sports will be recognized in the fourth edition of the awards night supported by Nickel Asia Corporation, Philippine Sports Commission, Philippine Olympic Committee, MVP Sports Foundation, CEL Logistics, Go For Gold, Barley + WHEATGRASS Entrepro, Pacquiao Coffee, Milo, San Miguel Corporation, PLDT and powered by Smart.
World junior champions Tachiana Mangin of taekwondo, weightlifters Angeline Colonia and Lovely Inan headline the Young Heroes Awards together with 2024 US Junior Girls champion Rianne Mikhaela Malixi of golf and wushu’s Alexander Gabriel Delos Reyes.
Joining them are Asian junior gymnastics gold medalist Karl Eldrew Yulo, world youth champion Isabella Butler of ju-jitsu, Asian age-group swimming gold medalist Jamesray Mishael Ajido and table tennis youth champion Kheith Rhynne Cruz
Muay thai world champions Janbrix Ramiscal and Lyre Anie Ngina, chess Olympiad gold medalist Ruelle Canino will likewise be honored in the Super Kids Award category.
Three-time jiu-jitsu world champion Aleia Aielle Aguilar, Palarong Pambansa multiple gold medalists Albert Jose Amaro II (seven golds) of swimming, Mitchloni Dinauanao and Francis Dave Sombal (five golds each) of dancesports will banner the Rising Stars Award category.
Also on the list are world youth muay champion Royeth Rosa, fencers Yuna Canlas, Willa Galvez, Hagia Del Castillo, and Nicol Amethyst Canlas, golfers Francesca Nicole Gaisano Gan and Geoffrey Drew Ong Tan, swimmer Behrouz Mohammad Mojdeh, and figure skater Dawn Jasmine Gothong.
