From ring icon to sports godfather.
This will be Manny Pacquiao?s role as he is being considered by First Gentleman Mike Arroyo to lead the first group of private individuals and companies tapped to help Team Philippines in the soon-to-be-revived ?godfather? sports program.
Arroyo, talking about sports for the first time since anchoring the same program in 2005, said he was convinced after a series of meeting with local sports officials and Filipino athletes of the urgency of reviving the ?godfather? scheme to help sustain the Philippine Sports Commission?s long- term programs.
?I?m most willing to help our athletes. After a series of meetings and hearing the pleas of our athletes, I am now convinced that reviving the ?godfather? sports program will help us achieve our dream to win an Olympic gold in the future,? said Arroyo.
Arroyo said he had already informed Pacquiao about the plan and the four-division world champion agreed to be part of the program.
?Okey naman si Manny [Pacquiao], tutulong naman daw siya,? said Arroyo.
Pacquiao pledged P500,000 for a Filipino athlete who will win a gold in the Beijing Games. He is currently in the thick of preparations for his upcoming megabuck fight with Oscar de la Hoya on Dec. 6 in a duel where the Filipino champion is expected to earn $20 million.
The 28-year-old southpaw from General Santos City is considered as one of the wealthiest professional athletes in the world and the first Filipino athlete to break the P1-billion barrier in earnings.
Aside from Pacquiao, Arroyo also mentioned San Miguel Corp., Philippine Airlines, the Lucio Tan Group, Shell, and telecommunications giant Globe as possible ?godfathers? for 10 priority sports capable of winning gold medals in future Olympics.
?We will call their attention and submit a program, then we will call another pledging session. Para sa mga atleta ito kaya wala naman sigurong magiging problema,? said Arroyo.
