TEAM Lakay athletes led this year’s Kafagway International Sports Luminary Awards (KISLA) held recently at the Silungan Center of the City Social Welfare and Development Office here.
Former One Championship world lightweight champion Eduard Folayang, newly crowned Brave Combat Federation world bantamweight champion Stephen Loman, and Team Lakay head coach Mark Sangiao led the awardees whose sports achievements last year in several international sportsfest gave the city and the Cordillera region, flag and country and Philippine Sports glory, honor and prestige.
Folayang received the KISLA Sportsmanship Award for his commendable display of sportsmanship despite losing his championship belt last year against Martin Nguyen of Australia.
The former champion together with fellow athletes reigning ONE heavyweight world champion Brandon Veraand reigning ONE women's atom weight world champion Angela Lee were recently named as Global Citizen ambassadors after ONE Championship partnered partnership with international advocacy organization Global Citizen, with the aim of eliminating extreme poverty by 2030.
The three ONE Championship stars, along with Global Citizen co-founder Wei Soo paid a visit to one of the biggest poverty-stricken areas in Smokey Mountain in Tondo, Manila as part of their way to give back to the Filipino community.
Loman, a student from the University of Cordilleras received the Super Athlete of the Year trophy. Loman’s knockout victory over Gurdarshan Mangat to claim the inaugural Brave Combat Federation bantamweight title at the Khalifa Sports City Arena in Isa Town, Bahrain last year propelled him to receive the award.
Team Lakay founder and head coach Sangiao was named as Super Coach of the Year. He was recently ranked Number 2 mixed martial arts coach in the Asian Region.
The University of the Cordilleras (UC), headed by Rey Dean Salvosa was named as the “KISLA Educational Institution Award" for producing the biggest number of martial artists - competing in the national and international arenas - and sports leaders of world class caliber for the past decade, which includes Loman, Folayang, women's Wushu world champion Divine Wally, and coach Mark Sangiao, among others.
UC Athletic Director Danilo Cong-o was also cited as the Athletic Director of the Year while Team Lakay was honored as the Team of the Year. The Baguio-Benguet Educational Athletic League received the Sports Event of the Year.
The other honorees are young car racer Iñigo Anton, boxers Carl Jammes Martin and K.J. Natuplag, wushu players Islay Irika Bomogao, Liane Benito and Marian Tranyce; senior citizen athlete Erlinda Lavandia, wushu ace Divine Wally, PWD para-olympian Adeline Domapog, chess star Bea Mendoza and archers Karen Meer Hoingitan and Mary Queen Ibanez.
The awarding ceremony was spearheaded by the National Correspondents Club of Baguio with President Nars Padilla with the City Government of Baguio. (PIA CAR with UC Interns)