Fajardo, 2 others to get PSA special awards

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THREE stars who excelled in their respective fields last year will be given distinction in the San Miguel Corporation-Philippine Sportswriters Association (SMC-PSA) Awards Night at the Manila Hotel on Jan. 27.

PBA star June Mar Fajardo, collegiate prodigy Kevin Quiambao, and volleyball celebrity Jia Morado-De Guzman will receive special awards from the country’s sports writing fraternity during the gala night.

The 6-foot-10 Fajardo and the 23-year-old Quiambao will be hailed as the 2024 Mr. Basketball (pro and amateur), while the 5-foot-7 Morado-De Guzman, one of the country’s top setters, will be bestowed the title Ms. Volleyball.

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The three are part of the distinguished honor roll to be cited by the oldest media organization in the country in its traditional awards gathering co-presented by ArenaPlus, Cignal, and MediaQuest.

Gymnastics star Carlos Yulo leads the awardees. He’ll be conferred with the 2024 Athlete of the Year honor for his remarkable feat of winning the country’s first-ever Olympic double gold during the Paris Games.

The night of nostalgia and celebration is being backed by the Philippine Sports Commission, Philippine Olympic Committee, Milo, PLDT/Smart, Senator Bong Go, and Januarius Holdings, with support from the PBA, PVL, 1-Pacman Party List, AcroCity, Rain or Shine, and Akari.

Fajardo has received the Mr. Basketball honor many times in the past while Quiambao and Morado-De Guzman are receiving the award for the first time.

Fajardo, 35, reset his record last year when he won the PBA Most Valuable Player award for the eighth time while leading San Miguel to back-to-back Finals stints, including winning the Commissioner’s Cup crown. He was also a member of the Gilas Pilipinas team that reached the semifinals of the FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament in Riga, Latvia.

The 6-foot-7 Quiambao remained the biggest thing in college basketball after leading De La Salle to back-to-back UAAP finals appearances and winning MVP honors for two straight seasons. Like Fajardo, KQ was also part of the Gilas pool that competed in the FIBA Olympic and Asia Cup qualifiers.

Morado-De Guzman, the former Ateneo stalwart, served as the skipper and steady anchor of Alas Pilipinas’ bronze medal finish in the SEA Women’s V. League series, where she was named Best Setter, and in the Asian Women’s Volleyball Challenge Cup.

Past winners of the special awards include Scottie Thompson, Arwind Santos, Terrence Romeo, Calvin Abueva, Thirdy Ravena, Mark Caguioa, among others, along with volleybelles Alyssa Valdez, Mika Reyes, Dawn Macandili, Alyja Daphne Santiago, Sisi Rondina, and Tots Carlos.

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