39th SAC-SMB Awards to fete Cebu’s brightest athletes

Sports

THE red carpet will be rolled out for Cebu’s finest athletes when the 39th Sportswriters Association of Cebu (SAC)-San Miguel Beer Cebu Sports Awards fires off on April 26 at the Cube Wing of SM Seaside City Cebu.

This prestigious annual event will gather Cebuano athletes, coaches, and personalities who made waves both nationally and internationally in 2024.

Leading this year’s major awardees are June Mar Fajardo, the eight-time Most Valuable Player in the Philippine Basketball Association, and Rubilen Amit, the reigning WPA Women's World 9-Ball 2024 champion.

Also to be honored is the Cebu-based Melvin Jerusalem, the reigning WBC world minimumweight champion and one of the only two current Filipino boxing world champions.

Skater Margielyn Didal will also be recognized after conquering the Red Bull Buenos Aires Conquest.

In addition, Cebuano Olympians who campaigned in last year's Paris Olympics will also be recognized in the awards.

Special citations will also be given to athletes and teams for their stellar performances in the 2024 Palarong Pambansa. Top performers in last year’s Cebu Schools Athletic Federation Inc. will also get due recognition.

Led by its president and former Cebu City Sports Commission Chairman John Pages, SAC thoroughly deliberated the final list of awardees during a meeting earlier this week.

The SAC Cebu Sports Awards made its much-awaited return last year after a hiatus caused by the pandemic in 2020.

Last year’s highlights included the 'Sportsman of the Year' or the "Rico Navarro" award bestowed upon renowned sports physician Dr. Rhoel Dejano, and the coveted “Co-Athletes of the Year” honors shared by Fajardo, Jerusalem, and karter William John Riley Go.(CCM/Pooled Report)