The PSA Athlete of the Year is an annual award given by the Philippine Sportswriters Association to the best Filipino athletes for their sporting contributions and achievement. It is part of the PSA's Annual Awards Night, one of the most prestigious sport-related awards in the Philippines.
Notable athletes who have been given this award include Rafael Nepomuceno, Bong Coo, Eric Buhain, Lydia de Vega, Efren Reyes, Manny Pacquiao, Hidilyn Diaz, Carlos Yulo, EJ Obiena and Alex Eala.
Winners Per year Year Winner Sport 1976 Rafael "Paeng" NepomucenoBowling 1977-1979 Not awarded 1980 Rafael "Paeng" Nepomuceno Bowling 1981 Not awarded 1982 Lydia de VegaTrack and Field 1983 Frank CedeñoProfessional BoxingBong Coo Bowling 1984 Rafael "Paeng" Nepomuceno BowlingDodie Boy Peñalosa Professional Boxing 1985 Dodie Boy Peñalosa Professional BoxingJoann ChanArchery 1986 Ramon BrobioGolfLydia de Vega Track and FieldBong Coo Bowling 1987 Lydia de Vega Track and FieldEric BuhainSwimming 1988 Leopoldo SerrantesAmateur BoxingArianne Cerdeña Bowling 1989 Luisito Espinosa Professional Boxing 1990 Frankie Miñoza GolfLuisito Espinosa Professional BoxingRoberto Jalnaiz Amateur Boxing 1991 Eric Buhain Swimming 1992 Rafael "Paeng" Nepomuceno Bowling 1993 Elma Muros Track and Field 1994 Mansueto "Onyok" Velasco Amateur BoxingElias Recaido Amateur BoxingReynaldo Gallido Amateur Boxing 1995 Elma Muros Track and Field 1996 Rafael "Paeng" Nepomuceno Bowling 1997 Pia Adelle ReyesGymnasticsGerry Peñalosa Professional Boxing 1998 Frankie Miñoza GolfLuisito Espinosa Professional Boxing 1999 Efren "Bata" ReyesBilliards 2000 Dorothy Delasin Golf 2001 Efren "Bata" Reyes BilliardsDorothy Delasin Golf 2002 Manny Pacquiao Professional BoxingMikee Cojuangco-JaworskiEquestrian Sports 2003 Manny Pacquiao Professional BoxingCJ Suarez Bowling 2004 Manny Pacquiao Professional BoxingJennifer Rosales Golf 2005Team Philippines win 2005 PSA Athletes of the Year – Yehey! SportsTeam Philippines at the 2005 Southeast Asian Games Various Sports 2006Pacquiao, 7 others named PSA Athletes of the Year – Inquirer.net Manny Pacquiao Professional BoxingJoan Tipon Amateur BoxingViolito Payla Amateur BoxingRonato Alcano BilliardsAntonio Gabica BilliardsEfren "Bata" Reyes BilliardsBiboy Rivera BowlingRene CatalanWushu 2007 Nonito Donaire Professional BoxingMiguel Molina Swimming 2008 Manny Pacquiao Professional Boxing 2009 Rubilen Amit BilliardsMarestella TorresAthletics (Long Jump)Rani Ann OrtegaTaekwondo (Poomsae)Camille Alarilla Taekwondo (Poomsae)Janice Lagman Taekwondo (Poomsae)Jayson Castro Basketball 2010PSA: Four sportsmen share Athlete of the Year award - NBN NewsFrancisco Bustamante BilliardsDennis Orcollo BilliardsBiboy Rivera BowlingRey Saludar Amateur Boxing 2011Nonito Donaire Professional BoxingDennis Orcollo Billiards 2012PSA honors ’12 sports achievers toniteNonito Donaire Boxing Manila Big League team (women's) SoftballJosie Gabuco BoxingAteneo Blue Eagles (men's) Basketball2013Gilas cagers PSA athletes of the yearPhilippine national team (men's) Basketball2014Daniel CaluagBMX cycling2015Nonito Donaire BoxingDonnie Nietes BoxingMiguel Tabuena Golf2016Hidilyn Diaz Weightlifting2017Carlo Biado BilliardsKrizziah Lyn Tabora BowlingJerwin Ancajas Boxing2018Hidilyn Diaz WeightliftingYuka Saso GolfBianca Pagdanganan Golf Lois Kaye Go GolfMargielyn Didal Roller Sports 2019Team Philippines at the 2019 Southeast Asian Games Various Sports 2020 Yuka Saso Golf 2021 Hidilyn Diaz Weightlifting 2022 2023 EJ Obiena Track and Field 2024 Carlos Yulo Gymnastics 2025 Carlos Yulo Gymnastics Alex Eala Tennis
Multiple-time winners +NameTotalRafael "Paeng" Nepomuceno5Manny Pacquiao5Hidilyn Diaz4Nonito Donaire4Efren "Bata" Reyes3Luisito Espinosa3Lydia de Vega3Biboy Rivera2Bong Coo2Dennis Orcollo2Dodie Boy Peñalosa2Dorothy Delasin2Elma Muros2Eric Buhain2Frankie Miñoza2Team Philippines (Southeast Asian Games)2Yuka Saso2Carlos Yulo2
Special awards Hall of Fame Paeng Nepomuceno, 1997: bowling Bong Coo, 2004: bowling Eugene Torre, 2006: chess Manny Pacquiao, 2008: professional boxingPacquiao is PSA's Athlete of the Year and Hall of Famer – Philippines News AgencyPSA picks Pacman as ‘Athlete of the Year’ for 5th time Efren Reyes, 2010: billiards Florencio Campomanes, 2010: chess Mitsubishi Motors Philippines, 2015: tennis Lydia de Vega, 2022: athletics Hidilyn Diaz, 2024: weightlifting Frankie Miñoza, 2025: golf Lifetime Achievement Award Florencio Campomanes, 2006: chess 1973 Philippines men's national basketball team, 2014: basketball Eugene Torre, 2017: chessTorre to receive Lifetime Achievement PSA award Bong Coo, 2019: bowlingBowling legend Bong Coo, cycling great Paquito Rivas to be honored by PSA Paquito Rivas, 2019: cyclinggreats Olivia ‘Bong’ Coo, Paquito Rivas to receive Lifetime Award Efren Reyes, 2019: billiardsReyes to receive PSA Lifetime Achievement Award Eduardo "Danding" Cojuangco, 2020: basketball Joey Romasanta, 2020: volleyball Sonny Barrios, 2020: basketball Ramon Fernandez, 2021: basketball Sonny Jaworski, 2021: basketball Elma Muros, 2022: athletics Allan Caidic, Samboy Lim, Joe Lipa, Dante Silverio, Turo Valenzona, 2023: basketball Elorde family, 2025: boxing Milagros "Mila" Emperado, 2025: chess Romeo "Romy" Guevara, 2025: basketball 1991 Philippines Davis Cup team, 2025: tennis Monico Puentevella, 2025: weightlifting Athlete of the Decade Manny Pacquiao, 2009: professional boxing Athlete of the Century 1999 Paeng Nepomuceno, bowling Athletes of the Millennium 1999 Lydia de Vega, athletics, track and field Carlos Loyzaga, basketball Paeng Nepomuceno, bowling Bong Coo, bowling Pancho Villa, professional boxing Gabriel Elorde, professional boxing Onyok Velasco, amateur boxing Eugene Torre, chess Teófilo Yldefonso, swimming Felicisimo Ampon, tennis PSA's President's Award NU Bulldogs, 2015: collegiate basketball Gilas Pilipinas, 2016: basketball Milo Rivera, 2017: motocross Manny V. Pangilinan, 2018: basketball (2023 FIBA Basketball World Cup Bid Team) Carlos Yulo, 2019: gymnastics Abraham Tolentino, 2020: cycling/Olympics Yuka Saso, 2021: golf (2021 US Women's Open Champion) Carlos Yulo, 2021: gymnastics (2021 World Artistic Gymnastics Championship Gold & Silver Medalist) Alex Eala, 2022: tennis (2022 US Open Girls Champion) Gilas Pilipinas, 2023: basketball (2022 Asian Games gold medalist, Men's 5x5 Basketball) Nesthy Petecio and Aira Villegas, 2024: boxing (2024 Summer Olympics bronze medalists) Yeng Guiao, 2025: basketball (Coach, Rain or Shine Elasto Painters)
References