TEMPORARILY pushing aside the subject of boxing, to which he has been closely identified with lately, Reli de Leon of Manny Pacquiao Promotions has shifted his interest to a new passion.
I bet you’ll never guess the sport he’s currently in love with, considering that the Philippines is only a two-season country.
Would you believe, ice skating?
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Reli said he is excited about this sport because our tropical country has produced world-caliber ice skaters. Strangely.
“Do you know that while we’re looking at boxing, taekwondo and wushu as the potential source of our first-ever Olympic gold medal, there’s every possibility that it could come from ice skating,” he said, not meaning to shock me.
I just listened because I was in no position to refute. He is familiar with the members of the Philippine ice skating team, but I’m not sure if he has seen them in an international competition.
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Since I was not about to just take his word for it, Reli suggested that, maybe, I should see for myself how ice skaters perform before they leave for China to participate in the Asian Winter Games.
This is the first time the country is competing in a professional event, he said.
“We’re sending the best, a team of five, two of them Fil-Americans.”
I guess we will find out how good they are very soon. And then maybe we can start visualizing with him that Olympic gold.
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I had about three dozen questions to ask Reli about Pacquiao, but we couldn’t talk that long on the phone because he was in a meeting and wouldn’t be free until late in the afternoon for a lengthy chat.
To start with, I wanted to check with him unconfirmed reports about the Filipino boxing icon’s political plans.
Was Pacquiao really seeking the mayoral seat of his hometown General Santos City?
What about talk that he was running as vice mayor of Manila in tandem with Ali Atienza, son of Mayor Lito Atienza.
A colleague, who is considered a boxing expert, said he couldn’t believe that Pacman would run against his No. 1 fan and supporter in GenSan, Pedro Acharon, who always cheered for him in the United States.
“Manny’s close friend, the mayor, is running for his third and last term,” my colleague said. “He has done everything for Manny. Could Manny be really running against him? He is a registered voter in Manila. Boxing, like politics, has become dirty.”
My colleague is inclined to believe that Manny would run against his friend. One indication, he said, is that he has purchased and secured licenses for 20 guns, which he said, could arm a private army.
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It’s a boy for Kris and James, according to the ultrasound machine, and the little fellow is expected to be delivered by the stork between May 6 and 10.
Kris looked unquestionably pregnant when we saw her at the PSA Awards last week where hubby James was presented with the best pro player award.
“His name is James Carlos Yap Jr.,” Kris said. “His nickname is Baby James because from the time my tummy grew, that’s what Josh (Kris’ son) called him.”
