MANILA --- Five athletes from Negros take centerstage at 7 tonight when the Philippine Sports Association holds its annual awards night at the Manila Pavilion.

Bacolod City standout Juvic Pagunsan is set to receive the major award for amateur golf, while Binalbagan's John Baylon, who won his seventh straight Southeast Asian Games gold medal last month, will also be extolled for his feat in the biennial meet. Also in the elite list are Silay City-born athletes Junray Dayumat, a quadruple-gold medalist in the SEAG traditional boat event, and Sander Severino, who won five golds in chess in the ASEAN Paralympics.

Oriental Negros-born long jumper Maristella Torres, who won the country's first gold in the SEA Games will also be accorded a major award.

As historic as the country's triumph in the SEA Games, the PSA will give the Athlete of the Year Award to Team Philippines for the first time. The Philippines won the SEAG overall crown with a 113-gold, 79-silver, 85-bronze haul.

In behalf of Team Philippines, Diver Shiela Mae Perez, who won three SEAG golds, together with Philippine Olympic Committee president Jose Cojuangco and Philippine Sports Commission chairman William "Butch" Ramirez will receive the award from President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.

The 27-year-old Pagunsan capped his amateur career by snaring the individual gold in the SEA Games, before powering the Philippines to a triumphant campaign in the team event.

The Bacolod hotshot also ruled the RP Amateurs for the first time to complete his own personal grandslam, after winning the DHL, Malaysian and Thailand Amateurs. He also finished second in the Singapore Open.

Baylon won a record seventh straight SEA Games gold in judo, while the 24-year-old Torres, who hails from San Jose town, Oriental Negros, gave the Philippines its first gold in the 2005 biennial meet by reigning supreme in women's long jump with a 6.47-meter leap.

Dayumat, who is from the coastal village of Balaring in Silay City, emerged as one of the most bemedalled athletes in the SEA Games after leading the RP Dragon Boat men's team to gold medal finishes in the 10A-side and 20A-sdie 500-m races as well as 10A-side and 20A-side 1000-m events at the La Mesa Dam in Quezon City.

The 20-year-old Severino, the top Filipino athlete in the Para Games, brought home the golds in team and individual events of the blindfold competitions, team and individual events of the physically-handicapped, and the team event of the visually-impaired.

Special citations will also be given to all Filipino athletes who snared gold medals in the 23rd SEA Games, including 14 Negros standouts.

Lady boxer Mitchell Martinez of Bago and Bacolod City will receive a special citation as well as Talisay pugs Joan Tipon and Juanito Magliquian. Cauayan-born standout Arniel Ferrera will also be given a special citation after topping the men's hammer throw.

Other Negrense gold medalists during the SEA Games were men and women's dragon boat team members Crisanto Pabulayan, brothers Salvador and Alex Sumagaysay, Rico Pradilla, Jomar Ocquiana, Stephanie Deriada and Aileen Padrones. Also taking golds were Dumagueteños Jeniffer Chan, Joanne Tabaniag and Mark Javier.

Manny Pacqiuao, who is an adopted son of Bacolod City, will also be one of the major awardees of the event, although he will not be around to receive it since he is in Los Angeles preparing for his rematch with Mexican Erik Morales. *CPT

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