MCS Alumna Arianne Cerdeña-Valdez Recognized in the Prestigious Philippine SPORTS HALL OF FAME

Written by Vaughn Joshua Barit
Photo from Inquirer Sports
Posted on April 15, 2021 | 12:00 NN

The Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) released 10 notable names of Filipino athletes who prevailed in their own sports events in the past. The PSC inducted them to be part of the 4th batch of athletes in the Philippine Sports Hall of Fame (PSHOF). Among the 10 exceptional athletes is Arianne Cerdeña-Valdez, a graduate of Malate Catholic School batch 1978.

Together with her former teammates, world-renowned bowlers Rafael “Paeng” Nepomuceno and Olivia “Bong” Coo, Cerdeña is the third bowling athlete in the PSHOF. As a reward, she, together with nine other Filipino athletes, will be receiving P200,000 cash and a trophy from PSHOF.

Being part of the PSHOF implies prestigiousness. Nominated athletes for the said title should be a Gold Medalist in the Southeast Asian Games, or at least a silver medalist in the Asian Games or Asian Cup. If not, the athlete should be a bronze medalist in any world games or a titleholder in any professional or amateur sports competition.

The inspirational athlete is known for being the first Filipino gold medalist in the Summer Olympics. She won the medal in the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul, South Korea. Even though it was just for a demonstration event and the medal was not counted for the official medal tally, her achievements in bowling are notable that she was qualified to be a hall of Famer. 

Cerdeña debut professionally only three years after graduating from Malate Catholic School. Her first international tournament was in the 1981 Southeast Asian Games. On top of that, she won six gold medals overall in Regional Games, including the single medal won by the Philippine bowling delegation in the 1999 edition in Brunei.

Even though the induction ceremony for the 10 athletes to be formally part of the PSHOF has no specific date or place yet, the Games and Amusement Board (GAB) are pleased with the new symbol of inspiration for the aspiring young Filipino Athletes to persevere more.