A pair of young world champions will be among those to be honored by the Philippine Sportswriters Association (PSA) during its Annual Awards Night presented by Coca-Cola at the Manila Hotel on March 1.

Teen powerlifter Patricia Llena and youthful golfer Carlos Philippe Winsett Palanca are the year’s recipients of the Tony Siddayao Youth award.

Named after the late Standard sports editor, widely-acknowledged as the Dean of Philippine sportswriting, the award is given to deserving Filipino athletes who already showed potential even at a young age.

The 15-year-old Llena, the pride of San Antonio, Nueva Ecija, won three gold medals and a bronze in the World Sub-Junior and Junior Powerlifting Championships in Sao, Paulo, Brazil, while Palanca, 7, and grandson of sportsman Honey Boy Palanca, bested 22 players from 12 countries to become the first Filipino champion of the US Kids Golf European Championship in Kilspindie, Scotland.

Chess whiz Wesley So, golfers Dottie Ardina and Marcel Puyat, and rising basketball star Norberto Torres were some of the past winners of the Siddayao youth award.