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INSIDE SPORTS: WE HAVE FAITH IN MANNY PACQUIAO THE BOXER By Ronnie Nathanielsz PhilBoxing.com Tue, 22 May 2007  We are pleased that Filipino ring idol Manny Pacquiao whom we have referred to as a national treasure many times in the past has conceded the election for the lone congressional seat in South Cotabato to the clear winner, the charming, intelligent and articulate Darlene Antonino Custodio who comes from a respected political family. Pacquiao did the right thing by conceding rather than electing to wage what would end up being a hopeless battle to reverse the people’s will, charging fraud, vote-buying and intimidation which are standard jargon of those who don’t know how to accept defeat. If he decided to contest the results on the prodding of some of his sycophants who believed he could never lose in the elections, Manny would have added to his already sizeable financial losses. Indeed if he wishes to pursue any legal action he should zero in on those around him who allegedly pocketed a sizeable percentage of the funds that were released for various campaign activities. It’s the same old and regrettable story of politics, Philippine style. If there is no legal recourse for Pacquiao the best thing he could do is cleanse the ranks of his so-called advisers and hangers-on who have all along told him what he wants to hear and in the process sucked his blood-money like leeches. Even if they are family, through marriage or otherwise, Pacquiao should kick them out. The admirable facet of Pacquiao is that if his boxing career is any indication, he knows how to fight back from adversity. He should, for the present, spend some precious time with his family, take a trip to the US to watch brother Bobby battle Humberto Soto on June 9 and then, with justifiable pride, accept the coveted “Fighter of the Year” award from the prestigious Boxing Writers of Association of America a day earlier at the Copacabana in New York. Manny will be among men of the same calling, great fighters who continue to thrill us with their exploits in the ring and a gathering of remarkable boxing writers who chronicle the saga of boxing with an uncanny understanding of the sport and its nuances with finesse and emotion. That he will receive the award from one of the modern day greats, super middleweight champion Joe Calzaghe who has had 20 successful title defenses since he won the crown in October 1997, some ten years ago, is in itself an honor. That his friend and trainer Freddie Roach who honed Pacquiao’s skills in incredible fashion is the boxing writers choice for “Trainer of the Year” should also warm his heart, doubly so. But what should truly lift the spirits of Manny is a run through of past winners of the coveted Edward J. Neil Trophy where fighters in the lower weight divisions seldom if ever won the recognition that they perhaps deserved. Heavyweights have generally dominated the awards beginning with Jack Dempsey in 1938 and as far as we know there have been no winners below lightweight which is one division higher than the super featherweight or junior lightweight category where Pacquiao is the supreme warrior and to many, the best pound for pound fighter in the world today. This is a singular achievement for which Pacquiao – and indeed the Filipino nation must be justifiably proud. We have faith in the ultimate good-sense of Manny and his courageous heart which will help forget the heartache of his political misadventure and guarantee that he will return to his home – the ring – where he can never be beaten as long as he trains like he always does with a relentless pursuit of excellence and a sense of commitment that are a marvel of our time. Click here to view a list of other articles written by Ronnie Nathanielsz.  |
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