Huge crowds cheered Filipino boxing star Manny “Pacman” Pacquiao as a convoy paraded him from Manila’s slums to the presidential palace in a government-declared national celebration yesterday for his latest win.
Pacquiao’s stunning second-round knockout that dethroned IBO light welterweight champion Ricky Hatton in Las Vegas on May 3 cemented his image as the world’s best pound-for-pound fighter and his massive popularity at home.
His victory set off celebrations across the Philippines, where the 30-year-old has created a fanatical following bridging the divide between rich and poor.
PHOTO: EPA
Shanty dwellers jostled along filthy sidewalks in Manila’s Tondo slum district to get a glimpse of Pacquiao, whose phenomenal rise from crushing poverty as a street vendor to world fame has become the subject of at least one film.
Pacquiao smiled and waved while children threw mock punches as his long motorcade passed by.
“He’s still my idol though I didn’t get a cent from his big win,” said garbage collector Renato Baldivia, 43, flashing a toothless smile.
The parade was abruptly cut short to allow Pacquiao to go to the Malacanang Palace, where Philippine President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, her Cabinet and members of Congress showered him with confetti. They enjoyed a sumptuous lunch in a banquet hall and then ate a cake emblazoned with the Philippine flag.
Three tenors serenaded Pacquiao with a rendition of his songs — one of his many side interests that includes acting.
Pacquiao presented his IBO light welterweight champion belt to Arroyo then gave her and her husband his team’s sports jackets.
Arroyo wore hers over her dress, grabbed a microphone and threw questions at him like a fan.
“Did Hatton hurt you?” Arroyo asked.
“Not so much,” Pacquiao replied. “On top of the ring, I thought he was bigger and stronger. But no, he could not take the punch of the Filipino nation.”
Arroyo presented him with an encased copy of a presidential proclamation, which called for a national celebration yesterday for Pacquiao. It described him as a “boxing legend” whose “life and victories inspire the Filipinos to have resiliency and dedication to triumph against all odds.”
“He used to sleep in cardboard boxes and wear hand-me-down shirts. Now he dons Armani suits as befits the world’s top ring gladiator,” wrote sports analyst Ronnie Nathanielsz in yesterday’s Manila Standard Today.
Health Secretary Francisco Duque III urged Pacquiao last week to postpone his homecoming and observe a self-quarantine for five days because the swine flu virus has spread in Los Angeles, where Pacquiao stayed after the Hatton fight.
But Pacquiao defied the advice, saying he and his entourage did not have flu symptoms.
Jobe Bellingham on Tuesday admitted to having “anxieties” on following in brother Jude’s footsteps after joining Borussia Dortmund in the summer. Jobe Bellingham, 19, is two years younger than Jude Bellingham, who joined Real Madrid in 2023 after three years at Dortmund. A centerpiece of the England national team, Jude Bellingham has emerged as one of the best players in the world in recent seasons. The younger Jobe Bellingham joined Dortmund in June from Sunderland after their promotion to the English Premier League. He admitted he understood what the perception would be ahead of the move to Germany. “It’s something you do think about.
Before Tuesday’s 7-2 win at the Atlanta Braves, Milwaukee Brewers manager Pat Murphy suggested “most people couldn’t tell you five players on our team.” A look at the standings would indicate more Brewers players soon will be recognized by more fans. After all, it is difficult to overlook a team that not only continues to extend their lead in the National League Central, but also boasts the best record in the majors. “What we’re doing in here right now is special,” right-handed pitcher Freddy Peralta said after allowing only four hits and one run in five innings, while setting a career high with
A baseball team from New Taipei City won the US Pony Palomino Division World Series yesterday in Laredo, Texas, defeating the US West representative team from Azusa, California, 2-1. Ku-Pao Home Economics and Commercial High School earned the right to represent Taiwan in the Pony Palomino (17 to 18 age group) World Series after winning this year's Wang Chen-chih Cup, a competition named after Taiwanese-Japanese baseball legend Wang Chen-chih (王貞治), also known as Sadaharu Oh. In the championship game against Azusa, Ku-Pao's starting pitcher Luo Yu-yan (羅于晏) was erratic early, giving up two hits in the bottom of the first inning, followed
Taiwanese pitcher Teng Kai-wei took the mound in New York on Saturday as the starting pitcher for the San Francisco Giants in his MLB season debut against the New York Mets, pitching 3.1 innings and allowing five runs. The Taiwanese right-hander struggled early, giving up three runs in the bottom of the first inning, including a three-run homer to Mets slugger Pete Alonso — his 250th career home run. However, Teng was not fazed and soon found his footing, holding the Mets scoreless in the bottom of the second and third innings. Meanwhile, Mets starter Kodai Senga of Japan made a few errors
RSS