GOD WILL LEAD PACQUIAO ALL THE WAY TO VICTORY, SAYS SPIRITUAL ADVISER
By Alex P. Vidal
PhilBoxing.com
Wed, 03 Dec 2008
LAS VEGAS, Nevada -- Aside from his mental and physical preparations, Manny Pacquiao sees to it that he doesn't neglect his spiritual duties and preparations especially when he engages in probably the most difficult phase of his fistic career on December 6 at the MGM Grand, here.
This was the assessment made December 3 by Pacquiao's wedding godfather and spiritual adviser Andriano "Rey" Golingan who traveled all the way from Gen. Santos City, Philippines via Los Angeles, California to here to do his part in the Team Pacquiao: join Manny Pacquiao in his regular prayers.
"I predict that he is going to win (against De La Hoya) because God will lead him all the way to victory," Golingan said. "The basis of my prediction is his faith in God. At any given time during the fight, God will surely lead him to victory."
He said, "Pacquiao is religious by nature." Golingan and his partner, an engineer who refused to be identified, said it is Pacquiao himself who leads the prayers "and we only guide and follow him."
"Some of his friends whom he respects help him in his spiritual preparations because we cannot help him in his mental and physical preparations," said Golingan's friend.
Golingan and his friend said they join Pacquiao and his pregnant wife Jinkee together with selected family members in regular prayers at night usually before dinner time.
"In Los Angeles (inside his The Palazzo apartment in La Brea), we usually prayed before dinner. But when we arrived here last night, we started the prayer after dinner," added Golingan's friend.
Golingan, who owns a boxing gym in Gen. Santos City, guided Pacquiao when the best boxer pound-for-pound was still amateur.
He never missed Pacquiao's fights in the United States and once held the boxer's championship belt in the ring when Pacquiao fought Jorge Solis for WBC international super featherweight title in San Antonio, Texas on April 14, 2007.
Golingan, a close ally of the late senator Raul Roco, also backed Pacquiao when the popular ringster ran and lost in his congressional bid in North Cotabato in 2007.
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Alex P. Vidal.
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