PACQUIAO SPONSORS L.A. DARTS TOURNAMENT
By Dong Secuya
PhilBoxing.com
Mon, 13 Apr 2009
LOS ANGELES -- Watch out Ricky, Manny has not forgotten his loss to you in a dart game in Manchester, and now he honing his skills in the steel tip game to prepare for a rematch.
Pacquiao, a consummate sporstman who plays billiards, chess, table tennis, basketball and darts, among others, and oh by the way, is the world's top pound-for-pound boxer, has sponsored a $30,000 Pacmania Open Steel Tip Dart Tournament at the Wilshire Plaza Hotel along Wilshire Blvd. in this city where some of the best dart players in the U.S. are participating.
The two-day tournament which will end tonight, is being participated in by close to 200 players who came from all over the United States headed Darren Young, Chris White, Robert Heckman and Scotty Burnett, considered to be among the top ten dart players in the U.S.
Top Filipino players who joined the tournament and who made their presence felt are Nico Depenos, Lito Moises and tournament organizer Rhen Fuentes.
Fuentes, who plays the game professionally and is the team captain of the San Francisco Darts Club, has been tapped by Pacquiao to put up dart tournaments primarily to help and flush out good Filipino dart players staying in the U.S.
"The tournament is both (Pacquiao and Fuentes) our idea," Fuentes told Philboxing.com. "I told Manny that there are many good Filipino dart players in the U.S. who could stand on their own among the world's best who just needed to be given enough exposure. So we came with the idea of putting up tournaments."
"By all indications," Fuentes continued, "our first tournament is a huge success and we have another one calendared in June already. We are also going to have a tournament during Pacquiao's birthday in December with a total purse of $60,000."
Pacquiao's and Fuentes's project is expected to perk up interest in the game among Filipinos in the U.S. and back home. Already, Nico Depenos has captured the singles championship in the Wilshire tournament. The doubles is still up for grabs where Pacquiao is teaming up with another Filipino as of press time.
Asked how good Pacquiao is as a dart player on a scale of 1 to 10, Fuentes said "when I met him he used to be 5, but as of now he is an 8."
Ricky Hatton, who is now training in Las Vegas for the mega-fight with Pacquiao on May 2 at MGM Grand Garden Arena for the 'Battle of east and West', may take note of that.
Top photo: Filipino boxing superstar Manny Pacquiao prepares to throw the dart during the Pacmania Open Steel Tip Dart Tournament at the Wilshire Plaza Hotel along Wilshire Blvd. in Los Angeles Sunday. Photo by Dong Secuya.
Tournament poster.
Filipino boxing superstar Manny Pacquiao (c) prepares to throw the dart during the Pacmania Open Steel Tip Dart Tournament at the Wilshire Plaza Hotel along Wilshire Blvd. in Los Angeles Sunday.
Part of the crowd and participants of the tournament.
The game's paraphernalia on sale at the tournament venue.
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Dong Secuya.
Recent PhilBoxing.com In-House articles:
Deniega to fight Oka in Japan
By Lito delos Reyes, Fri, 02 Jan 2026Illness forces Paddy Donovan to withdraw from IBF Welterweight World Eliminator January 16 versus Liam Paro in Australia
Fri, 02 Jan 2026Canadian World Cruiserweight Contender Ryan Rozicki returning to ring March 7th
Thu, 01 Jan 2026Lover Boy on hot streak
By Joaquin Henson, Wed, 31 Dec 2025Silvano fights Gurung on January 13 in Hong Kong
By Lito delos Reyes, Wed, 31 Dec 2025GM Laylo faces tough competition in Caloocan rapid chess
By Marlon Bernardino, Wed, 31 Dec 2025GOLDEN BOY DELIVERS A LOADED UNDERCARD OF STAR PROSPECTS FOR ROCHA VS. CURIEL II
Wed, 31 Dec 2025Arca wins silver in Eastern Asian Juniors Chess Championships 2025
By Marlon Bernardino, Wed, 31 Dec 2025Donaire awaits WBA order
By Joaquin Henson, Tue, 30 Dec 2025Anthony Joshua injured in car crash in Nigeria
By Gabriel F. Cordero, Tue, 30 Dec 2025Sampson Boxing Signs Red Hot Middleweight Vito Mielnicki Jr to Exclusive Promotional Contract
Tue, 30 Dec 2025Undefeated Carl Jammes Martin Plots Next Move as New Year Unfolds
Mon, 29 Dec 2025Alvin Gayeta Roma leads Mansa Engineering Consultancy Team B to rule New York Chess Academy Team Tournament; pockets P100,000
By Marlon Bernardino, Mon, 29 Dec 2025Llover, Casimero stop foes in Japan
By Lito delos Reyes, Sun, 28 Dec 2025Organizing Committee Meets for Dr. Eugene Torre Rapid Chess Tournament Honoring FIL-CHI’s Golden Anniversary
Sun, 28 Dec 2025