EJ Obiena will be honored not just twice but thrice during the San Miguel Corporation-Philippine Sportswriters Association (PSA) Awards Night. 

In celebration of its 60th anniversary, MILO pays homage to the world’s No. 2 pole vaulter by bestowing to him the ‘Gold, Grit, and Glory Award’ during the Jan. 29 proceedings at the grand ballroom of the Diamond Hotel.

The award represents excellence, resilience, and inspiration in the realm of pole vaulting.

The accolade is the third the 28-year-old University of Santo Tomas product will be receiving in the annual gathering other than the coveted Athlete of the Year award and among the lead athletes to be given with citations by the country’s sports writing fraternity currently headed by Nelson Beltran, sports editor of The Philippine Star.

Obiena is the second elite athlete to be recognized by MILO with the same award after Olympic gold medalist Hidilyn Diaz last year.

The traditional awards night exclusively staged by the 75-year-old media organization is presented by ArenaPlus, the 24/7 sports app in the Philippines, and with the Philippine Sports Commission, Philippine Olympic Committee, MILO, Cignal, and PLDT/Smart as major sponsors, while being backed by the Philippine Basketball Association, Premier Volleyball League, 1-Pacman Partylist Rep. Mikee Romero, and Rain or Shine.

MILO Sports head Carlo Sampan will award Obiena the special honor.

“An athlete who embodies the Grit for unwavering determination in the face of challenges, and Glory to become an inspiration for others,” said MILO in a statement.

“In celebration of 60 years in the Philippines, MILO aims to honor and empower athletes to reach new heights and stands as a testament to MILO’s legacy of pursuing greatness in sports.”

Also to be recognized by MILO are the 12 recipients of the Tony Siddayao awards as testament to its support to young, promising Filipino athletes.

Registration for the Awards Night starts at 6 p.m.

The PSA is again reminding awardees and guests who failed to personally receive a hard copy of their respective invitations are advised to get it directly at the registration table of the venue during the program.