Press release
UP and coming Davao karatekas Robert Bryan Dayanan Jr. and Heleina Dominique H. So are this year’s co-Athletes of the Year when the 27th So Kim Cheng Sports Awards unfolds this August 28.
Both karatekas of the Association for the Advancement of Karatedo (AAK) Davao City Chapter which is a member of the Karate Pilipinas Sports Federation Incorporated-XI will receive the major awards after a conscientious deliberation by the Davao City Sports Council Incorporated.
The nine year-old Dayanan Jr. was named Male Athlete of the Year after capping respective gold medal performances namely, the 3rd Annual Hakuakai International Open Karate Championship Philippines 2020 Online Karate E-Kata tournament held November 28-29 to December 5-6, 1st Karate Pilipinas E. Kata Championships last December 20, 2020 and the Manuel Veguillas International Karate Championships last April 24-25, 2021. He also landed a bronze medal in the 2nd Karate Pilipinas E-Kata and E-Fantom Championships on June 6, 2021.
On the other hand, eight year-old Heleina Dominique H. So will be this year’s Female Athlete of the Year awardee with four golden efforts in the 3rd Annual Hakuakai International Open Karate Championship Philippines 2020 Online Karate E-Kata Tournament last November 28-29 to December 5-6, 1st Karate Pilipinas E-Kata Championships last December 20, 2020, the Manuel Veguillas International Karate Championships on April 24-25,2021 and the 2nd Karate Pilipinas E-Kata and E-Fantom Championships on June 6 2021, respectively.
Completing So’s medal count will be a silver performance she did in the Manuel Veguillas International Karate Championships.
Another major awardee falls on AAK Davao’s Jeofrey Albarico who will receive his second Coach of the Year Award while veteran sportsman-businessman Bok Mata of Moto-X Davao will be the recipient of the Sports Leadership Award.
Other awardees which will be handed over with their respective outstanding recognitions and citations in the annual sports awards dubbed as the city’s longest running local giving body include archery, arnis, athletics, chess, karatedo, motocross, muay thai, philspada, rugby and volleyball together with their sponsors and supporters.
It will be held at the Lanang Business Park hosted by the So Kim Cheng Sports Foundation Incorporated noting strict observance of the pandemic safety protocols. (with reports from JDV and photos from Dabaw Sports Council Inc.)
