Pilipinas Sambo Federation Inc. Paolo Tancontian receives the DSA-SDD Sports Heroes Night Male Award on behalf of his son Chino from PSC Commissioner Walter Torres and Senator Christopher “Bong” Go. (DSA)
Davao City – Chino and Sydney Tancontian were named DSA (Davao Sportswriters Association)-Southern Sports Digest Sports Heroes of the year held Saturday, 12 September at the Rogen Inn.
Sydney Sy Tancontian earned the female award for her distinguished performance in the sport of Sambo.
Sydney, 26, won the gold DSL Dutch Sambo Open last March 8, 2025 held at Dalfsen, Netherlands. She also pocketed the gold in the USA Open International Sambo Cup last April 4, 2025 at Atlanta, Georgia in USA and the Asia & Oceania Sambo Championship last April 14, 2025 in Tashkent, Uzbekistan.
Younger brother Chino, on the other hand, got the male award this time in Judo. He won the gold medal in the 33rd Southeast Asian (SEA) Games last, December 13, 2025 beating Indonesia’s Gede Ganding Kalbu Soethama with a perfectly timed throw.
The 25-year-old Chino also bagged the gold medals in the 51st All Japan Sambo Championship last February 1, 2025 in Tokyo, Japan and the USA Open International Sambo Cup last April 4, 2025 in Atlanta.
“I’m very proud of Sydney and Chino,” said father Paolo Tancontian, president of Philippine Sambo Federation Inc., who personally received the plaques from Senator Christopher “Bong” Go and PSC Commissioner Walter Francis Torres.
Junior golfer Zoey Behati Ruiz Mascarinas and gymnast Zoey Jhanine Sasngutan were named co-Rising Athletes of the Year for their respective feats.
The eight-year-old Mascariñas brought the city’s name in the international stage after winning the 2026 Superkit Junior Elite Tour Philippines at the Apo Golf and Country Club and a top five finish in the 2026 Under Armour Junior World Golf Championships at the Reunion Resort Golf Course in Orlando, Florida.
Sasngutan won four golds and first place in the Individual all-around in the 14th Bangkok Gymnastics Invitational and bagged another four golds in the Shanghai Gymnastics Club International in China.
Meanwhile, basketball mentor Jess Linus Evangelio was named as the Coach of the Year for steering the 2025 DAVRAA boys team.
The other major awards:
NSA of the Year – Davao Archery Club
Sports Leader – PSC Chairman John Patrick “Pato” Gregorio
Sports Team – 2025 DAVRAA boy’s basketball team
By Jon Develos
