Filipina boxers Nesthy Petecio and Aira Villegas. Yummie Dingding, PPA pool; Jonathan Cellona, ABS-CBN News

MANILA -- After two medals for the Philippines in the Paris Olympics, boxers Nesthy Petecio and Aira Villegas will receive a special recognition in the 2024 San Miguel Corporation-Philippine Sportswriters Association (SMC-PSA) Awards Night.

The two boxers will be recognized with the President's Award by the country's oldest media organization during its traditional awards night on January 27 at the grand ballroom of the Manila Hotel.

Petecio and Villegas both won bronze medals in the Summer Games to add to the two golds won by gymnast Carlos Edriel Yulo. Combined, their victories pushed the Philippines to its best ever showing in the Olympics.

Yulo is going to be feted with the highest honor as 2024 Athlete of the Year during the proceedings co-presented by ArenaPlus, Cignal, and MediaQuest.

READ: Carlos Yulo is crowned, and more of the top sports stories of 2024

READ: After historic Paris campaign, Carlos Yulo named PSA Athlete of the Year

Petecio emerged bronze winner in the women’s 57kg division, while Villegas secured the same medal in the 50 kg class.

“They may have missed the biggest prize in the 2024 Olympics, but nonetheless deserve high accolades with their own bright moments in the Paris Games, providing extra push in the glorious Philippine performance – a great highlight in the country’s centennial year of participation in the Summer Games,” said PSA President Nelson Beltran, sports editor of The Philippine Star, of the special recognition to be bestowed on the two boxers.

For the 32-year-old Petecio, the bronze was the second Olympic medal she won, adding to the silver which she bagged in the 2020 edition of the Games in Tokyo. In doing so, she became the first ever Filipino boxer to clinch back-to-back podium finishes in the quadrennial meet.

For the 29-year-old Villegas, it was a proud moment right in her Olympic debut as an underdog out of the compact five-man Philippine boxing team which competed.

READ: Villegas assured of medal with hard-earned win over France's Lkhadiri

READ: Petecio clobbers Chinese foe to clinch another medal for PH

Several other awards will be handed out in the special night made possible by major sponsors Philippine Sports Commission, Philippine Olympic Committee, MILO, PLDT/Smart, Senator Bong Go, and Januarius Holdings and backed by the PBA, 1-Pacman Party List, AcroCity, PVL, Akari, and Rain or Shine.

The honor roll includes Executive of the Year, Major Awardees in other sports, Mr. Basketball both in the professional and amateur ranks, Ms. Volleyball, and the regular Tony Siddayao Awards for athletes aged 17-year-old and under.

Special recognition will also be given out to the Philippine Olympians and Paralympians, while another iconic Filipino athlete is set to be enshrined in the PSA Hall of Fame.

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