By Beth Celis
Philippine Daily Inquirer
First Posted 05:05:00 02/19/2010
Dashing and dapper in a three-piece suit, boxing icon Manny Pacquiao, as expected, was a big hit with the predominantly Filipino crowd at the Pavilion of the Hilton Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, where the Pinoy Power 3/Latin Fury fight card was held on Valentine weekend.
Media friends who covered the event swore love was in the air as Manny and wife Jinkee greeted their friends, fans and kababayans.
My veteran colleague Ronnnie Nathanielsz, for one, said he was overwhelmed by the romantic aura exuded by the couple that night.
“Jinkee looked really lovely, while Manny was all smiles and obviously happy,” said Ronnie, who covered the Las Vegas fight with Dyan Castillejo for ABS-CBN. “He had a broad grin on his face as he moved around acknowledging the cheers and the handshakes from fellow Filipinos, Americans, Mexicans, Puerto Ricans and Latino fans.
“Every TV network covering the event that night was scrambling for an interview with the pound-for-pound king. Not only that, everyone tried to get him to join their broadcast panel.”
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Of course, Manny ended up with the tandem of Ronnie and Dyan.
“Manny was clearly in his element as he talked about his fight with Joshua Clottey in Texas next month,” Ronnie related. “He also talked about a program series that he wanted to do. Actually, we had talked about it in the past and the plan was to telecast all his old fights when he was still a kid and feature it on the late Rod Nazario’s “Blow by Blow” weekly TV show.”
“Of course, Manny’s stature, fame and fortune have skyrocketed since.”
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Incidentally, many of the champ’s countrymen find disturbing the report that Manny is dangling a $20,000 prize for the member of Team Pacquiao who will lose the most number of pounds before the fight.
Instead of spending his money on incentives like this, the critics feel that Pacquiao could alleviate the plight of his poor countrymen at home by helping them get started on small livelihood projects.
“These people around Manny get fat eating off him, and now he will reward them for losing weight,” said one critic. “These LA (Los Angeles) boys whom he continues to coddle will be the first to forget him when his days as champion are over.”
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Last week, Solar Sports’ lovely corporate communications manager Trisha Ocampo hosted a small get-together for members of the sports press to usher in the Winter Games, which is being aired here by the network.
Although we were still unaware that some half-Filipinos were among the participants, the press boys jokingly offered a toast to the Philippines’ first Winter Olympics gold medal.
We drank to that, not knowing that it might come true.
The other day, the papers carried the news about a certain John Robert Celski winning the bronze medal in the 1,500-meter short track speed skating event.
Celski is a Filipino-American representing the United States. His mother is a Filipino from Isabela, which makes him half-Filipino. He is very proud of his breed and he shows it by having the Philippine flag tattooed on his chest.
On Feb. 26, John Robert guns for the gold in the 5,000m relay, and we will see him do this on Solar TV.
If he wins, can we claim that the Philippines has finally bagged a Winter Olympics gold?
I don’t think so. In the 1950s, a full-blooded Filipino diver won the gold in her event but credit went to the US, because she was married to an American and was herself an American citizen.
Nonetheless, we will be very happy for Celski if he wins the gold.
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Amanda Evora, the other Fil-Am participant in the Vancouver Winter Games, did not turn out to be as lucky as Celski.
The petite 25-year-old Evora, whose father hails from Calapan, Mindoro, and partner Mark Ladwig finished 10th in figure skating pairs’ short course and the free skate events. Reports have it that Evora and Ladwig were victims of questionable judging.
Celski and Evora are only two of the about 2,500 athletes from 82 countries competing in the 21st Winter Games.
Source: sports.inquirer.net
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