MANILA, Philippines ? An honoree in a lot of Philippine Sportswriters Association (PSA) Annual Awards Night in the past, boxing superstar Manny Pacquiao is again gracing the Coca-Cola presented event on March 5 at the Manila Hotel, albeit in a different capacity.
The honorable congressman from the province of Sarangani and considered one of the greatest fighters in the rich history of prizefighting, will be the main speaker and guest of honor on the night the country?s oldest media organization extols the top sports achievers of the year 2010.
The special occasion marks the first time in the 62-year history of the PSA that an active, Filipino athlete will serve as guest of honor and speaker in the yearly awards night. Pacquiao, 32, the only boxer to win eight world titles in as many weight classes, had already been installed in the PSA Hall of Fame for being named Athlete of the Year five times in between 2002 to 2008.
Last year, he was named Athlete of the Decade by the same group of editors and sportswriters from the different national broadsheets and tabloids.
The special guest appearance of the world?s top pound-for-pound fighter in the elegant rite also presented by San Miguel Corporation, the Philippine Amusements and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR), Harbour Centre, ICTSI, Samsung, Accel, Nihao Mineral Resources International Inc., and the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC), comes in the aftermath of his recent one-on-one meeting with US President Barack Obama at the White House.
Pacquiao?s visit at the Oval Office was part of his coast-to-coast US media tour to promote his May 7 world welterweight title fight against American Sugar Shane Mosley.
The boxing great confirmed to two Filipino sports scribes, who were with him during the whirlwind trip, of his attendance in the awards ceremony that will see the three Asia Games gold medal winners (Rey Saludar, Biboy Rivera and Dennis Orcollo) and billiards Hall of Famer Francisco ?Django? Bustamante being honored as the 2010 Athletes of the Year.
The annual rite also takes place a week before Pacquiao starts his two-month training for the Mosley fight.
