Pacquiao could have made the difference in bid to host 2019 FIBA World Cup
By Eddie Alinea
PhilBoxing.com
Tue, 18 Aug 2015
That's what FIBA'S decision giving China the right to host the 2019 World Cup of Basketball at the expense of the Philippines was all about.
With Philippine, represented by the Samahang Basketbol Ng Pilipinas, choosing to rely solely on mere "PUSO" or the Filipinos' fighting heart in its presentation to win its bid to host the 2019 FIBA World Cup held last week in Tokyo, the FIBA Central Board voted 14-7 in favor of China.
Headed by its president, businessman-sporsman Manny V. Pangilinan with boxing icon Manny Pacquiao in tow, the SBP failed to convince members of the Central Board that the Filipinos deep love for basketball was enough for the Philippines to successfully stage the World Cup like it did the when it was given the right in 1978.
Of course, winning the right to host a sporting event in the magnitude of the FIBA World Cup is won by the capability of the bidding country to stage such a huge undertaking. But up until the last minute of the presentation, the Philippines, according to members of some Asian basketball federations who attended the event, still stood to have a chance to win in its bid had the delegation, instead of showing a pre-taped statement of the three-time 'Fighter of the Year' honoree, allowed Pacquiao to speak at the podium and personally made the pitch for the country, like what China did to Yao Ming, they told philboxing.com.
Reason for this is the Sarangani Congressman was the best example, among the 30-man or so delegation members, who could have shown proof that 'PUSO' indeed, can spell the difference in making the 2019 world championship a success.
Those whom this OUTSIDER spoke to confessed that their sympathy was for the Philippines and even suggested that the about-to-be 37-year-old, in fact, could have taken the stage in Barong Tagalog wearing gloves in his hands. While speaking, footage of his biggest fights could have been shown on the big screen.
Come to think of it, Pacquiao, for instance, he, who has a big heart, was able to knock out future Hall of Famers Marco Antonio Barrera, David Diaz, Ricky Hatton, Miguel Cotto, Chatchai Sasakul, Lehlo Ledwaba one after another and beating on points Juan Manuel Marquez and Antonio Margarito on the way to crowning himself world champion 10 times in eight weight divisions.
And how he became the only man, too, in boxing history to win lineal world championships in four different divisions -- flyweight, featherweight, junior lightweight, and junior welterweight. Additionally, Pacquiao has held three Ring titles in three different weight classes, namely featherweight, junior lightweight, and junior welterweight -- a feat even the "Greatest" Muhammad Ali and "Fighter of the Century" Sugar Robinson failed to accomplish.
While Yao ended his speech holding a basketball, which he handed to the FIBA president saying "the ball is now in you hands", the father of five with wife Sarangani Vice Gov. Jinkee, could have capped his by going down the stage and wearing gloves in his hands approached the member of the FIBA board telling them, jokingly, of course, "Please allow us to host the FIBA World Cup again or else, I'll knock you all out."
That could have brought the whole house down with members of the board as well as supporters of the contesting countries giving him and the victorious Philippine contingent standing ovation.
Other members of the SBP team could then talked on the Philippines' successful staging of the 1978 world tourney, which, incidentally, was held in Baguio city simultaneously with the World Chess Championship between defending champion Anatoly Karpov of the USSR and Swiss challenger Viktor Korchnoi.
That made the Philippines the only country in the world, and a third world nation at that, to play host to a pair of world championships at the same time, exactly at the same month of October that same year.
And who can forget the world championship fight on October 1, 1975 between Ali and 'Smokin' Joe Frazier, known as "Thrilla In Manila," wich until the present time, 40 heasrs after the Philippines hosted it, is still being talked about. Same with the 25th World Cup of Golf held at the Wack Wack Golf and Country Club in 1977.
Those huge spots events, for the information of the uninitiated, were so successful that they were adjudged as models for their subsequent staging.
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Eddie Alinea.
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