MANILA, Philippines?The day after the ?Invasion? at the Araneta Coliseum, a popular scribe was talking about his encounter with Manila visitor Juan Manuel Marquez.
He said the former world champ, whose WBC super flyweight crown was wrested by our own Manny Pacquiao in Las Vegas last March, came to Manila on the invitation of Golden Boy Promotions, to watch the Gerry Pe?alosa?Ratanachai Sor Vorapin fight last Sunday. (This was later on disputed by other quarters though, claiming that it was a television network who had invited Marquez. The network is reportedly very interested in airing the next Pacquiao-Marquez return bout.)
The scribe only had kind words and superlatives for Marquez.
Describing him as ?muy simpatico?, he said the Mexican boxer was very friendly and likeable. There were more Filipinos hovering around him for his autograph and his photograph than there are for Pacquiao, who has a tight cordon sanitaire around him, the scribe said.
Even after the rude remark and the challenge he made to Pacquiao in front of his kababayans, the scribe continued to admire Marquez.
?You know you lost that fight in Las Vegas,? Marquez told Pacman to his face at the Araneta Coliseum. Then he goes on to challenge him to prove that he is the rightful champ by agreeing to a third match. The contract to the fight could be signed right now,? Marquez said.
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While the scribe found Marquez?s antics acceptable, businessman-sportsman Hermie Esguerra, who is a close friend of Pacquiao, draws exception.
?What Marquez said was foul. As a Filipino I feel offended with what he did. He humiliated Manny in front of his kababayans right here in Manny?s own turf.?
In effect, Hermie said Marquez is also questioning the integrity of the three judges, the World Boxing Council and the promoters.
?Look, I watched Manny?s first fight with Marquez and as far as I?m concerned, Manny won that match. But the judges ruled a draw and we all accepted the decision.
?If it was God?s will that the belt go to the Mexican boxer, then he should have won,? said the prominent racehorse owner.
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Will somebody please explain to me why the ladies national youth basketball team was excluded from the P76-million sponsorship package undertaken by Tao Corporation for the BAP-SBP?s youth program?
As far as I know, the main beneficiaries of this multimillion package, which is good for three years, are the men?s RP youth team and the developmental NBTC (National Basketball Training Center) of Eric Altamirano which include boys and girls. So it couldn?t be gender discrimination.
Not a single centavo has been allotted to the girls? team which is a big puzzle. In Malaysia for example, Petronas supports both boys and girls youth teams.
But why totally ignore the women?s youth team? They need transportation fare to attend practice sessions regularly and they need medical care if injured, just like the boys.
Surely there will be enough money left to go around even if they allot a small amount for the needs of the girls? team, which is a drop in the bucket.
I should have interviewed Mr. Jun Sy, president of Tao Corporation, the biggest Nokia distributor in the Philippines, when I met him during the NBTC launch at the Makati Sports Club some months ago. However, nobody knew at the time that the girls? team was not part of the budget equation.
Cynthia Tiu, godmother of the RP ladies elite team, should not have been saddled with a second team to support if only the juniors got a little help from the more moneyed sponsors.
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The first thing Mikee Romero did after the closing ceremonies of the Jakarta Seaba was text BAP-SBP president Manny Pangilinan to ?apologize.?
?We tried our best against two big imports. Succeeded against Malaysia but succumbed to the ever-unfair Indonesia,? read the message.
Even without Sam Ekwe, Mikee said Harbour almost made it. ?But the Hong Kong referee kept calling it against us every time the lead was cut down to four points.?
Mikee, who hates losing, has charged the Seaba fiasco to experience. ?I know what to do the next time. It won?t happen again,? he vowed.
