ArenaPlus, your 24/7 sports betting app, joined in celebrating the successes and hard work of Philippine athletes during the 2023 San Miguel Corporation Philippine Sportswriters Association Annual Awards Night hosted at Diamond Hotel Philippines.
On January 29, 2024, the Philippine Sportswriters Association (PSA) recognized numerous athletes who have left their mark on the history of Philippine sports in the year 2023. This recognition comes from the writers and editors who have witnessed, firsthand, the effort and dedication each competitor consistently displayed in their pursuit of victory.
The awarding ceremony began with handing out the Tony Siddayao Awards to young practitioners with recognizable potential before going into the Major Awards for those with noteworthy contributions, the Lifetime Achievement Awards for industry legends, and the Special Awards for outstanding individuals. PSA also recognized the gold medalists from the Sea Games, the ASEAN Para Games, the Asian Games, and the Asian Para Games.
Notably, Gilas Pilipinas won the President’s Award while pole vaulter Ernest John “EJ” Obiena received the Athlete of the Year Award.
On top of athletes, PSA also identified the people and organizations that provided their support. The Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas and Jiu-Jitsu Federation of the Philippines were both named the National Sports Associations of the Year, while SMC President and CEO Ramon S. Ang and First Pacific Company Chairman and CEO Manny V. Pangilinan were both given the PSA Executive of the Year Award for their contributions during the FIBA World Cup.
ArenaPlus played an active role in the event as a presenter. The brand provided trophies for each athlete. In addition, the Executive of the Year Award and the President’s Award—were personally presented to the recipients by Total Gamezone Xtreme Inc. President Jasper Vicencio; each trophy was engraved with ArenaPlus’ logo.
Following the awarding ceremony, ArenaPlus will sustain its partnership with the PSA through a series of weekly forums. These forums are part of the PSA’s public service and information program to bridge the gap between the sports world and the public.
In a similar move, BingoPlus, your comprehensive entertainment and amusement platform, the first online bingo app in the country, and the Official Bingo Entertainment Partner of the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA), showed its support for Philippine basketball sportsmanship during the 2023-24 Commissioner’s Cup Finals press conference held at Eastwood Richmonde Hotel last February 1, 2024.
The final two teams—the Magnolia Hotshots and the San Miguel Beermen—shared the stage to give their pre-game thoughts and answer media queries alongside their coaches. Keen on asking its own questions, BingoPlus also interviewed some key figures at the conference.
PBA Commissioner Willie Marcial shared his opinions about this season, expressing how partnering with BingoPlus made the event more meaningful to the association.
“BingoPlus—malaking bagay sa PBA.” said Commissioner Marcial, “Number one, sila ang binibigay ng entertainment samin; two, pati yung mga enhancement para sa mga fans. Nakikita lang ngayon ang PBA dahil sa BingoPlus.”
Despite being on opposing teams, June Mar Fajardo—the 7-time PBA MVP of the San Miguel Beermen—and Calvin Abueva—an 8-time PBA All-Star from Magnolia Hotshots—shared similar sentiments about this season. Fajardo and Abueva planned to maintain momentum in their plays and snag the championship, both emphasizing the importance of giving it their all in the final game.
“Plan namin for the finals is more (play) execution and mental (fortitude),” remarked Abueva. “San Miguel is strong; meron silang MVP. They’re champions.”
BingoPlus touched upon Fajardo’s role as a consistent MVP, asking about his plans for the finals. In response, Fajardo simply commented, “Daming pwede maging MVP sa team namin. Si CJ Perez, siya yung contender para sa best player of the conference; sana makuha niya yung MVP (title).”
As brands dedicated to the relaxation of Filipinos and the development of Philippine culture, ArenaPlus and BingoPlus remain steadfast in supporting local sports, entertainment, and leisure activities. They continue to work on developing avenues and opportunities to make leisure and sports more accessible and relevant to the Filipinos.
BingoPlus and ArenaPlus proudly stand as flagship brands under Digiplus Interactive Corp, solidifying its position as a leading gaming and leisure provider in the country. For more updates, visit www.bingoplus.com and www.arenaplus.net or download the apps now via the App Store and Google Play.