Tacloban City (3 May) — There have been several firsts in the Leyte Palarong Pambansa 2009 which will culminate today. Some of these were mentioned by no less than Sec. Jesli Lapuz himself who said that this is the first time that all athletes have been given sleeping mattresses each. Region 8 Regional Director Sol Matugas said that this is the first time that both the President of the land and the Vice- President were together during the opening program of the week-long national sports event.
And this will also be the first time that the Palaro may have to stop for awhile as Manny “Pambansang Kamao” Pacquiao tries to grab from Englishman Ricky Hatton the junior welterweight title early this morning.
It will not only be in General Santos City that the Pacquiao-Hatton fight will be shown live but in different parts of Leyte province as well. As this article goes to the different websites today, big screens have already been readied at the Leyte Sports Development Center (the venue of the Palarong Pambansa), the Leyte Sports Gymnasium (a stone?s throw away from the Provincial Capitol) and the Tanauan Civic Building in Tanauan town.
Tanauan Mayor Roque A. Tiu said that he bought a satellite disc in preparation for today?s Pacquiao-Hatton fight to accommodate the request of athletes from General Santos City or the whole of Region 12 who are billeted in his town, to watch the much awaited fight of Manny Pacquiao with Ricky “Hitman” Hatton. “Manny Pacquiao?s townmates will thus be able to see the fight live on a big screen,” the very accommodating local chief executive of Tanauan said.
The Tanauan Civic Building can hold 2,500 viewers which is more than enough to have room for the athletes of Region 10 (Davao Region) and Region 12 (SOCSARGEN) who are all billeted in Tanauan town.
Meanwhile, the Philippine National Police expects another zero crime rate during the actual fight of Manny “Pacman” Paquiao who is now known as the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world.
Observers expect that traffic will be at a standstill this morning and streets will go empty as the majority of the 90 million Filipinos will either stay at home or look for big screens where they can watch the fight.
The pound-for-pound king Manny Pacquiao?s showdown with Ricky Hatton has been dubbed as “The Battle of East and West.”
The Palarong Pambansa 2009 will resume its sports activities after the “Pacman-Hitman” fight. (PIA 8) [top]
