A BOXING world champion leads four other youngsters to be presented with the Tony Siddayao Awards on March 3 when the Philippine Sportswriters Association (PSA) honors the top achievers of  2011.

Eumir Marcial, Markie Alcala, Jeron Teng, Rustom Lim, and Raymond Debuque are the latest in a long list of past honorees who were recipient of the award, given to promising young athletes and held in honor of Siddayao, the late Manila standard sports editor widely consider as the  ‘Dean of  Philippine sportswriting.’

Of  the five, Marcial, the 15-year-old pride of  Zamboanga, easily stands out, having been the first ever Filipino to win a gold medal in the AIBA Junior World  Boxing Championships in Kazakhstan last year.

Marcial and Co. are among the personalities and entities to be honored by the country’s sportswriting community in its Annual Awards Night at the Manila Hotel and presented by Smart.

As guest of honor and keynote speaker, Vice-President Jejomar Binay, together with PSA president Rey Bancod of Tempo, will present the coveted Athlete of the Year trophy to co-winners Nonito Donaire  Jr. and Dennis Orcollo.

The formal  bash which DZSR Sports Radio 918 will be airing live, is also presented by Harbour Centre, SM Prime Holdings, Philippine Basketball Association (PBA), ICTSI, Philippine Sports  Commission  (PSC), Philippine  Amusements and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR), Milo, and Coca-Cola.

For a  fleeting  moment in August, Marcial came in the country’s consciousness following his gold medal feat in the world tilt, clinching the gold by outpointing Onat Cengiz of Turkey, 9-7, in the finals of the 52 kg. division.

Also winning a gold medal was 18-year-old Raymond Debuque, who accounted for the lone gilt the country won in the World Junior & Sub-Junior Powerlifting Championships in Moose Jaw, Canada.

Markie, brother of the country’s leading women’s player Malvinne, primed himself up as the Philippines’ next badminton star by beating a tough foreign  field  in topping his division in the Li Ning Singapore Youth International Series 2011.

And  Teng, a World Youth Games veteran and son of former PBA player Alvin, distinguished himself as the nation’s top junior player when he shattered all existing high school scoring record upon exploding for a mind-boggling 104 points in  leading three-time defending champion Xavier to a 164-74 romp of Grace Christian College in the Tiong Lian Basketball Association tournament.

Past recipients of the  Siddayao Awards were Markie’s sister Melvinne, Grandmaster  Wesley So, basketball stars Kiefer Ravena and Norberto Torres, golfers Andiue Unson, Carlos Philippe Winsett Palanca, Wolen Superal, Miguel Tabuena, Marcel Puyat and AR Ramos, rider Jerrick Mitra, wushu  bet John Keithley Chan and the  PH junior  wushu team, and the Bacolod Girls softball team.

List of awardees:

Athletes of the Year:  Dennis Orcollo,  Nonito Donaire Jr.

Major  awardees: Brian Villoria (pro boxing), Ana Julaton (pro boxing), Donnie Nietes (pro boxing), Mark Anthony Barriga (amateur boxing), Efren `Bata’ Reyes (billiards),  Rubilen Amit (billiards),  Jessie Aligaga (wushu),Dembert Arcita (wushu), Dragon Boat  team, Jimmy Alapag (pro basketball), Calvin Abueva (amateur basketball), Bobby Parks Jr.(amateur basketball), Jhonnel Ababa (pro golf), Dottie Ardina (amateur golf), Rupert Zaragosa (amateur golf), Magna Carta (Horse of the Year), Jesse Guce (Jockey of the Year), Kenneth San Andres (motocross), Malvinne Ann Alcala (badminton)