CARLOS Edriel Yulo has been recognized as the country’s top gymnast anew following a banner year capped by a haul of medals in regional, Asian and world levels.
The 22-year-old wunderkind was given the GAP-KG MVP Award for 2022 to lead a bevy of fellow national gymnast standouts to be lauded by KG Management, in partnership with Gymnastics Association of the Philippines (GAP) in an Awarding Ceremony at the Heritage Manila Hotel in Pasay City.
PLDT, Inc. (PLDT) and Smart Communications Inc. chairman Manuel V. Pangilinan (MVP) was also recognized with the Sports Godfather award due to his unwavering support for Philippine gymnastics and sports in general, highlighted by the establishment of the MVP Sports Foundation Gymnastics Center in Intramuros, this year.
Mr. Yulo became the undisputed choice for the top award after reigning supreme in 9th Artistic Gymnastics Senior Asian Championships in Doha, Qatar with three gold medals and one silver.
Mr. Yulo was also the country’s most bemedaled athlete in the 2022 Southeast Asian Games in Vietnam with a five-gold, two-silver medal harvest before capping the year with a silver and a bronze in the 41st FIG Artistic Gymnastics World Championships in Liverpool, England.
“Ngayong taon ay tunay na kuminang ang Philippine gymnastics. Hindi po ako ako makakarating dito sa kinatatayuan ko kung hindi dahil sa mga taong patuloy na sumusuporta sa akin. Magpu-pursige pa po ako pangakong di masasayang ang tiwala at suporta niyo. (This year was Philippine gymnastics’ time to shine. I would not be here where I am today without everyone supporting me. I will do my best to ensure all your faith in me will not go to waste.) Let’s keep making our country proud,” said Mr. Yulo, who was joined by his family.
“Gymnastics has been blessed by so many achievements of our national gymnasts that we decided that it would only be appropriate to honor them with awards and dinner by GAP and the KG Management,” added Gymnastics Association of the Philippines (GAP) president Cynthia Carrion as Mr. Yulo revs up for the tough qualifiers for the 2024 Paris Olympics.
Aside from Mr. Yulo, Filipino-American ace Aleah Finnegan was also recognized after winning two gold medals in the SEA Games and anchoring the Philippine women’s artistic gymnastics team to two silver medals.
Other awardees included Munehiro Kugimiya, the Japanese coach of Yulo and the national men’ artistic gymnastics team, as well as Miguel Besana (MAG), Carl Joshua Tangonan (men’s aerobics), Charmaine Dolar (women’s aerobics) and Breana Labadan (rhythmic gymnastics).
Milo Philippines and the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) chaired by Noli Eala was also recognized in the ceremony. — John Bryan Ulanday