ESTEEMED colleagues in the sportswriting fraternity will share the limelight in the San Miguel Corporation-Philippine Sportswriters Association (SMC-PSA) Annual Awards Night on March 6 at Diamond Hotel.
A Lifetime Award in Sports Journalism will be given to former editors Recah Trinidad, Ding Marcelo, Jun Engracia, Al. S Mendoza, Eddie Alinea, and Percy Della, while the late sports editors Joe S. Antonio and Ernie Gonzales will be honored with a separate PSA Special award.
The traditional gala night of the country’s oldest media organization is presented by the Philippine Sports Commission and Cignal TV and backed by the Philippine Olympic Committee, Mayor Abraham “Bambol” Tolentino, Milo, Smart, MVP Sports Foundation, Rain or Shine, 1Pacman Rep. Mikee Romero, Philippine Basketball Association, OKBet, ICTSI, and the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp.
Hidilyn Diaz, the country’s first Olympic gold medalist, leads the long list of the 2022 honor roll that also includes a who’s who in Philippine sportswriting.
Trinidad wrote the hard-hitting “Bare Eye” column in the Philippine Daily Inquirer, where he also served among its early editors in the late-80s. He honed his craft as a reporter at the Philippine Herald and the Manila Times, before becoming the first editor of Tempo when it was first launched in 1982. He also previously worked with the Daily Express, Malaya, and Sports Flash.
A product of The Dawn, the official student publication of the University of the East, Marcelo served as sports editor of Bulletin until his retirement in 2017. He began his writing career with the Chronicle before transferring to the Bulletin, where he was once a Malacanang beat reporter. Later on, he became news editor of Tempo, and managing editor of Bulletin.
A veteran runner, triathlete, and health buff, Engracia served as news editor of the Philippine Daily Inquirer and worked with the Daily Express in the 70s.
Mendoza, a three-time Palanca Awardee, began his career at Bulletin and Panorama. He joined the Philippine Daily Inquirer where he became sports editor. He currently writes a weekly column in the Business Mirror (That’s All) and SunStar Cebu (All Write).
Della, another veteran in the sports beat, started out with ABS-CBN, Times Journal, and Philippine News Agency before migrating to the US to work at the City News Service and the Los Angeles Herald Examiner. He also served in the California State Service as public information officer and retired as spokesperson for energy under former Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger.
