SKC awardees to be finalized

ORGANIZERS of the So Kim Cheng (SKC) Sports Awards Night will have yet to release the final list of outstanding athletes to be honored on its annual awarding ceremonies on July 22.

Athletes who gave honor for Davao City and for the country from June 16, 2011 to June 15, 2012 were the ones being considered to be feted in the event that is being organized in celebration of the late sports patron So Kim Cheng's birthday.

The city's newest Fide Master (FM) Austin Jacob Literatus, a senior student at Doña Carmen Denia National High School (DCDNHS), is the strongest contender for the male athlete of the year award having collected three gold medals and three silvers in the 13th Asean+ Age-Group Chess Championships held in Hue City, Vietnam early last month.

He also copped a gold in the 12th Asean+ Age-Group Chess Championships in Tarakan, Indonesia last year.

Davao City Sports Council Inc. (DCSCI) vice-president Joaquin "Boy" Sarabia, during their meeting at a local restaurant on Wednesday night, said Literatus' feat in the international scene is very commendable.

Sarabia, however, said they will have to wait for other nominations from other sports leaders so they can determine the athletes of the year in both male and female categories.

Holy Cross of Davao College woodpusher Ella Grace Moulic, a team gold medalist in the 12th AAGCC in Indonesia, double silver medalist in the 13th AAGCC and double gold medalist in the Palarong Pambansa, was also nominated as outstanding female chess athlete.

Association for the Advancement of Karatedo (AAK) Davao head Rommel Tan nominated Arthur Lao III, a silver medalist in the Silent Knight International Karatedo, and Carmela Marie Estarija, a team kata gold and team kumite silver medalist, as outstanding karatedo athletes.

Metro Davao Table Tennis Association (Medatta) president Dr. Louie Metran, for his part, named Jay Marunday and Jacqueline Caragao as outstanding table tennis athletes. Marundan was singles bronze medalist in the National Binay Cup and champion in the Philippine Team Regional Selection while Caragao was singles silver medalist in the Philippine National Games.

In basketball, the 2011 National Students Basketball Championship juniors champion Assumption College of Davao and senior champion Jose Maria College Kings were nominated by the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas (SBP).

DCSCI secretary-general Belen-Kempis Taala said, "We will come out with the final list within the week after we finish screening the candidates."

Olympian divers and multiple Southeast Asian (SEA) Games gold medalists Sheila Mae Perez, Rexel Ryan Fabriga and Zardo Domenios were among those cited as athletes of the year along with SEA Games billiard gold winners Lee Vann Corteza, Asian Games billiards gold medalist Gandy Valle, SEA Age-Group swimming champion Jose Joaquin Gonzalez and international master Oliver Dimakiling.