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June Mar Fajardo, Sarina Bolden earn top honors in PSA Awards

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ABS-CBN News

<div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img alt="ABS-CBN-News-x-EPA-EFE" src="https://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2024/life/01/13/20240113-via-abs-cbn-news-x-epa-efe.jpg"/><figcaption>Sarina Bolden of the Philippine women&#x27;s national football team and June Mar Fajardo of Gilas Pilipinas. Mark Demayo, ABS-CBN News and Ritchie B. Tongo, EPA-EFE.</figcaption></figure></div>MANILA -- Gilas Pilipinas center June Mar Fajardo and Filipinas striker Sarina Bolden have been named Mr. Basketball and Ms. Football, respectively, by the Philippine Sportswriters Association.The two star athletes will be given their awards during the PSA&#x27;s Annual Awards Night on January 29 at the Diamond Hotel.This is the sixth time in the last seven years that Fajardo has earned Mr. Basketball honors. His streak of five consecutive awards was broken by Ginebra&#x27;s Scottie Thompson last year.Meanwhile, Bolden won the award for the second straight year.Both athletes had strong campaigns in 2023 that saw them spearhead their respective teams&#x27; charges in major international competitions.Fajardo, 34, was part of the Gilas Pilipinas squad that regained the gold medal in the 32nd Southeast Asian Games in Cambodia. He was also included in the country&#x27;s roster for the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023.In September, he played a major role in Gilas&#x27; march to the gold medal in the 19th Asian Games in Hangzhou, China.In the PBA, Fajardo extended his own record when he won a seventh Most Valuable Player award.Bolden, meanwhile, continues to be the face of the Philippine women&#x27;s national football team. She was a key player in the Filipinas&#x27; debut in the FIFA Women&#x27;s World Cup 2023, scoring the team&#x27;s first goal in the competition in a 1-0 stunner over co-host New Zealand. Bolden scored 12 goals for the Filipinas in 2023, bringing their total to 28.

Gilas Pilipinas center June Mar Fajardo and Filipinas striker Sarina Bolden have been named Mr. Basketball and Ms. Football, respectively, by the PSA.