MANILA, 21 February 2003 — Considered one of the best Filipino boxers of all-time, Manny Pacquiao proves that he is also a true gentleman.
Holder of the International Boxing Federation (IBF) junior featherweight title, Pacquiao has apologized for his non-appearance at the prestigious Philippine Sportswriters Association (PSA) annual awards last month at the Holiday Inn to receive his Sportsman of the Year Award.
At last, the PSA and Pacquiao kissed and made up a month after the controversy. Pacquiao, who arrived in Manila from Davao, faced the media for the first time during the weekly forum at the Holiday Inn.
He asked for the PSA’s forgiveness, and at the same time, asked for the media’s understanding for his failure to attend the annual gathering.
“I could not come because I was sick,” said Pacquiao as he broke his silence over reports that he snubbed the 2002 awards ceremony. Pacquiao said he was hurt by those reports. Earlier, there were reports Pacquiao was unable to show up because he was too engrossed in billiards.
The same reports, carried by most sports columnists, said the boxing champion lost “a whooping half million pesos in one game during a match in Davao City.”
But Pacquiao denied the claims, saying sickness knocked him out of the rites.
Pacquiao said he was only honing his skills in billiards. “I want to be a professional (billiards) player,” he said.
But he denied he is into big time gambling.
“That’s too much,” Pacquiao said referring to reports that he lost hundreds of thousands of pesos during a billiards match.
An earlier report also had Pacquiao’s business manager, Rod Nazario, telling PSA members the IBF champion “had a bum stomach and couldn’t make it” for the awarding ceremonies.
According to Pacquiao, he called up his trainer Restituto Fernandez to call the attention of the PSA president, Bert Cuevas, and to apologize for his failure to attend.
Fernandez said it was apparent that the PSA president failed to tell the crowd gathered at the ceremony that Pacquiao could not come because of illness.
Fernandez said Pacquiao was so excited to attend the ceremonies and even asked him to buy a “barong tagalog,” a manifestation that he did not plan to snub the affair.
He said it was unfortunate that Pacquiao got ill.
“I know when he is sick. He never tells a lie to me,” Fernandez, who is also Pacquiao’s childhood friend, said.
Earlier, in a pooled editorial, the PSA lambasted Pacquiao for his failure to attend the ceremony that they had lavishly prepared for the boxing titlist.
“Call it a left hook, even a low blow. Whatever, Manny Pacquiao’s deliberate snub of the Philippine Sportswriters Association Awards Night smacked of arrogance of the highest form. The PSA simply felt betrayed ...
“We in the PSA wouldn’t dare think that fame and fortune have trudged their way into Pacquiao’s head and dyed hair. We had thought that Pacquiao has the makings of a people’s champion, what with his admirable fighting skills, big fighting heart and shades of humility that he displayed early in his career. The PSA said they were “simply felt betrayed” and they vowed “not to take this (non-appearance) sitting down.”
“... the PSA won’t take this snub sitting down. As they say, there are many ways to skin a cat, especially the arrogant breed.”
The PSA president accepted the southpaw’s apology although he issued a sermon before he welcomed Pacquiao back into the fold with open arms.
Last year, Pacquiao who lost out in the “Athlete of the Year” award, which was given to golfer Dorothy Delasin, an American whose parents are Filipinos, reportedly boycotted the awards in protest pointing out that the awards were meant for the Filipino “Athlete of the Year.”
Pacquiao’s business manager Rod Nazario received the award on behalf of the country’s only reigning world champion during the PSA awards night. Pacquiao said he couldn’t take the flight to Manila because he was sick.
