DAVAO CITY – Karateka Robert Lawrence Avancena and arnis’ Sherhalee Bulaso were named 2020 So Kim Cheng Sports Awards co-Athletes of the Year after a thorough deliberation by the Davao City Sports Council Incorporated last week.
Avacenca and Bulaso earned this year’s prestigious award presented by city’s longest running sports award giving body – the So Kim Cheng Sports Foundation Incorporated, which is now on its 26th year.
The 13 year-old Avancena who is this year’s Male Athlete of the Year bagged a gold medal in the -55kgs kumite event that brought honor and help for team Davao City which placed third in the overall medal tally in the 2019 Batang Pinoy National Finals held in Puerto Princesa, Palawan.
Avancena, a student of Shepherd My Lambs Christian College Incorporated in Catalunan Grande also garnered a golden performance in the 7th Asia Pacific Gojukai Karatedo Championships where he was part of the Davao City karate delegation which was bannered by players from the Association for the Advancement of Karatedo/Karate Pilipinas Sports Federation Incorporated.
Avancena’s feat also earned his coach Jeofrey Albarico the 2020 SKC Sports Awards Coach of the Year. Albarico, a national karatedo licensed instructor, steered team Davao City’s performance in the 2019 Batang Pinoy National Finals and during the recent 2020 Karate Pilipinas National Open held at the RMC in Manila which also had golden performances from co-SKC 2020 NSA awardees Stephen James Cartagena and Jamie Daniella Nirza.
“I am elated with their performances during the previous tournaments mentioned and now grateful as they achieved honorable citations for this year’s So Kim Cheng Sports Awards especially getting the Male Athlete of the Year and Coach of the Year honors,” said Rommel Tan, chief instructor of the Association for the Advancement of Karatedo (AAK) Davao and region XI director of the Karate Pilipinas Sports Federation Incorporated.
The 13 year-old Bulaso of Davao City National High School of the Mario Palazuelo coached Philippine Eskrima Kali Arnis Federation shares this year’s limelight as the Female Athlete of the Year on her 2019 Batang Pinoy National Finals performance and during the 2019 Kadayawan National Open which placed her on top of the winner’s podium.
Awards for outstanding athletes and citations will also be given by the So Kim Cheng Sports Foundation Incorporated which is set this July 22. The awards will be shown through a video presentation via zoom. The annual sports awards is held in honor of the late local sports patron So Kim Cheng.
Outstanding athlete awardees will come from archery, arnis, athletics, badminton, chess, duckpin bowling, karatedo, motocross, muay thai, philspada, rugby, tenpin bowling, volleyball and wushu.
