Manila, Philippines, March 21, 2024: Tennis player Alex Eala and football star Sarina Bolden were named Athletes of the Year of the inaugural Women in Sports Awards 2024 at Rizal Memorial Coliseum in Manila on Wednesday evening.
Eala, 18, won two bronze medals at the Hangzhou Asian Games last year – in women's singles and mixed doubles.
She also won the Australian and French Open junior doubles and a US Open junior singles title two years ago.
Bolden, on the other hand, saw action in 44 international matches and scored 28 goals since joining the national football team in 2018.
She delivered the goal in the country's 1–0 win over World Cup co-host New Zealand at the Sky Stadium in Wellington on July 25, 2023.
“The decision to award both Eala and Bolden as Athletes of the Year was quite unanimous. Both are deserving of recognition for not only making us proud of their achievements but also for serving as positive role models as Filipina athletes,” Philippine Sports Commission Commissioner Olivia "Bong" Coo, who conceptualised the awarding ceremony, said.
The awardees were nominated by the national sports associations under the Philippine Olympic Committee. Almost 200 athletes from 78 sports were nominated by their national associations.
Source: Philippine News Agency