Tolentino named PSA Executive of the Year

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PHILIPPINE Olympic Committee president Abraham “Bambol” Tolentino will share the spotlight on January 27 during the San Miguel Corporation-Philippine Sportswriters Association (SMC-PSA) Annual Awards Night at the grand ballroom of the Manila Hotel.

Tolentino will be recognized as Executive of the Year during the traditional gala night by the country’s sports writing fraternity for his hands-on job overseeing the participation and performance of the Filipino contingent to the Paris Games as head of the POC.

With Tolentino, the current Tagaytay City mayor, at the helm and waving the baton, Team Philippines achieved its best showing in its century of Olympic participation, highlighted by the country’s first double gold medal courtesy of wonder boy Carlos Yulo in gymnastics.

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This is the third time the father of the country’s Olympic movement will receive the award during the traditional festivity co-presented by ArenaPlus, Cignal, and MediaQuest.

Tolentino was also the Executive of the Year back-to-back in 2021 and 2022, respectively.

Yulo leads all of the awardees in the celebration considered the ‘Oscars of Philippine Sports’ and supported by the Philippine Sports Commission, Philippine Olympic Committee, PLDT/Smart, MILO, Senator Bong Go, and Januarius Holdings, with backing from the PBA, PVL, 1-Pacman Party List, Rain or Shine, Akari, and AcroCity.

The 24-year-old gymnast is the undisputed choice as the 2024 Athlete of the Year by the country’s oldest media organization headed by its president Nelson Beltran. 

Aside from Yulo, the Philippines also won two bronze medals in Paris courtesy of boxers Nesthy Petecio and Aira Villegas as the Filipino contingent lived up to Tolentino’s bold prediction the country would surpass its medal haul in the Tokyo Olympics four years earlier.

It was also under Tolentino’s leadership when weightlifting icon Hidilyn Diaz delivered the Philippines’ first gold in the Olympiad in 2021 by topping the women’s 55kg class in record fashion.

The 32nd edition of the Summer Games in Tokyo also saw three boxers bringing home medals behind the explosive fists of Petecio, Carlo Paalam – both silver winners – and Eumir Marcial (bronze).

Tolentino, also the president of the Integrated Cycling Federation of the Philippines (PhilCycling), earned a new mandate as POC president just before the end of 2024.

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