Caloy, Alex highlight the best of 2025 during PSA Annual Awards
Being in the thick of a campaign in a different time zone didn’t stop Alex Eala from expressing her gratitude after the Philippine Sportswriters Association (PSA) named her as its Female Athlete of the Year.
For Eala, the honor bestowed upon her during Monday’s event at Diamond Hotel symbolized the growth of the sport she has brought to new heights, as evidenced by her rise in the international tennis scene.
“This award meant so much to me because it’s a reflection of how far tennis has really come in our country,” Eala said in a video message while at the Dubai Tennis Championships.
Eala shared the spotlight with Carlos Yulo, the Male Athlete of the Year, who won the PSA’s top honor for the second straight year.
Yulo personally accepted the award on the day he celebrated his 26th birthday. While posing for photos alongside PSA president Francis T.J. Ochoa of the Inquirer and Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) Chair Patrick Gregorio, gymnastics president Cynthia Carrion went up the stage with a surprise.
Carrion brought along a birthday cake for Yulo, who was later serenaded with birthday greetings from guests and others still on hand for the awards night that ended close to midnight.
“I thank the Lord for giving me another year, another opportunity to learn and strive to become a better athlete,” Yulo said in Filipino.
The two topped a long list of athletes who excelled in 2025, with Eala raising tennis’ profile with her stints on the WTA scene and Grand Slam tournaments.
Yulo, on the other hand, backed up his twin gold feat at the 2024 Paris Olympics by capturing golds at the World Championships and Asian Championships.
They join other awardees who got the nod of the PSA, from the popular ones like June Mar Fajardo as Mr. Basketball to some of the Southeast Asian Games and Asean Para Games gold medalists like wushu’s Agatha Wong and bowling’s Patrick Eusebio, among others.
Gregorio took the Executive of the Year, hailed for his work since being appointed as head of the government sports agency, while Rain or Shine coach Yeng Guiao became the first non-athlete to claim the President’s Award.
Guiao won a Supreme Court case that led to the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. and Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office to remitting the full percentage of their earnings to the PSC.
