THE Gymnastics Association of the Philippines is the hands-down choice for the National Sports Association of the Year award in the Miguel Corporation-Philippine Sportswriters Association Awards Night at the grand ballroom of the Manila Hotel on Jan. 27.
The 62-year-old federation gave the country a truly memorable 2024 behind Carlos Yulo’s double gold medal in the Paris Olympics.
Yulo, 24, from Leveriza, Manila emerged the big winner in his two pet events – the men’s vault and floor exercise – for the Philippines’ historic first pair of gold medals in a single Olympic participation.
Philippine gymnastics in Paris didn’t only end with Yulo’s golden feat.
History was made when the stunning trio of Aleah Finnegan, Emma Malabuyo, and Levi Jung-Ruivivar also represented the country in the 33rd edition of the Summer Games. It marked the first time in 60 years that Filipina gymnasts participated in the quadrennial showcase since Evelyn Magluyan and Maria Luisa Floro wore the country’s tri-colors in the 1964 Tokyo Olympics.
Together with GAP, Yulo takes center stage in the January 27 proceedings co-presented by ArenaPlus, MediaQuest, and Cignal as the well-deserved winner of the Athlete of the Year honor.
This is the first time the gymnastics association, under the loving care of its president, Cynthia Carrion, is being recognized as NSA of the Year by the oldest media organization in the Philippines established in 1949 and currently headed by Nelson Beltran.
Previous recipients of the award include the Samahang Weightlifting ng Pilipinas, Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas, Association of Boxing Alliances in the Philippines, Jiu Jitsu Federation of the Philippines, Philippine Athletics Track and Field Association, Philippine Taekwondo Association, among others.
The Awards Night has the Philippine Sports Commission, Philippine Olympic Committee, PLDT/Smart, Senator Bong Go, MILO, and Januarius Holdings as major sponsors, and with the backing of the PBA, PVL, Akari, Rain or Shine, AcroCity, and 1-Pacman Party List.
Yulo was just as dominant in the continental campaign, collaring four golds in the Men’s Artistic Gymnastics Asian Championships in Tashkent, Uzbekistan while copping a gold and silver in the FIG Artistic Gymnastics World Cup Series in Qatar, where Ruivivar also bagged a silver as the two Filipinos earned tickets to the Paris Olympics.
Malabuyo struck a gold and a bronze in the Women’s Artistic Gymnastics Asian Championships also in Uzbekistan to formalize her first ever Olympic stint.
Another Yulo in Karl Eldrew, Caloy’s younger brother, also made his presence felt, bagging the gold in the juniors’ division of the same Tashkent tournament.
Karl likewise won golds in the Pacific Rim Championship in Cali, Colombia, and in the Chiu Wai Chung Cup in Hong Kong just before 2024 ended.
