ARUM: MANNY?S DESIRE TO HELP THE POOR MORE IMPORTANT THAN A LEFT HOOK OR A RIGHT CROSS
By Ronnie Nathanielsz
PhilBoxing.com
Fri, 07 May 2010
KIAMBA, SARANGANI: the adulation of millions of Filipinos for pound-for-pound king Manny Pacquiao has spilled over into admiration for Top Rank promoter Bob Arum who was welcomed with open arms by the people of Kiamba, a small town in Sarangani when he visited Pacquiao?s home and then attended a campaign rally after a 92 kilometer drive from General Santos City.
Grateful Filipinos who recognize how much Arum has done for the career of Pacquiao alongside celebrated trainer Freddie Roach swarmed around him even on his arrival Thursday morning in Manila from Las Vegas with one question on their mind ? when will he be able to make a Pacquiao-Floyd Mayweather Jr fight happen.
Arum said he didn?t come to the Philippines to discuss future fights with Pacquiao but came here to help boost Pacquiao?s desire to win the congressional seat in Sarangani and continue his mission to help the poor.
Arum told us ?Manny?s desire to help the poor so he can, in his own way make their lives better, is is more important to me than a left hook or a right cross or anything like that.?
Arum stressed that he visited Manny in the homestretch of the campaign to give him moral support saying ?I have no intention to talk boxing with Manny at all. I am restricted here and rightly so as a foreigner and I can?t campaign actively for him but I can be here and support him and talk to him about what his goal is and that?s to win a congressional seat.?
Arum said people ?can draw whatever inference they want from my presence here. But I do believe he will fight again but even if he doesn?t which I don?t think is going to be the case, he?s had a great career. It?s a real honor and a great experience for me to have been associated with him.?
There were about 2,000 people at the small rally held Thursday and Arum and visiting journalists Bill Dwyre of the Los Angeles Times, Nancy Gay of AOL Fanhouse, Michael Marley of Examiner.com and a British journalist from the Times of London drew their own share of attention at the rally as they were roundly applauded when introduced to the fans along with ABS-CBN?s Dyan Castillejo who was given the loudest applause and this reporter.
Clearly the crowd were thrilled at seeing their hero, with many of them young, innocent kids whose smiles and sparkling eyes attracted the attention of Gay who kept commenting about their childlike innocence and said she would love to take some of them back home with her.
The respect the kids as well as the older folk paid to the visitors was touching as they reached to shake their hands and thank them while the kids in typical Filipino fashion took their hands and touched their foreheads.
The nagging question is whether the crowds and the applause as well as the hero-worship can be translated into votes at the polling precints on May 10 or will Pacquiao suffer another humiliating defeat similar to the one he suffered when he was soundly beaten by the attractive and articulate Darlene Antonino in the last congressional elections in General Santos City.
Those around Pacquiao including his charming wife Jinkee who has been a major asset on the campaign trail since she is from Sarangani, believe Manny, based on whatever surveys that have been conducted would win but there are perhaps more discerning individuals who feel that it would be next to impossible to defeat his opponent Roy Chiongbian, a scion of the wealthy Chiongbian family who have controlled the province for decades and have a solid organization in place. Only time will tell.
Top photo: World Boxing champion Manny Pacquiao speaks to his supporters during a campaign rally in Alabel, Sarangani province in southern Philippines in May 1, 2010. Pacquiao is running as congressman in his hometown in Sarangani province. REUTERS/Erik de Castro.
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Ronnie Nathanielsz.
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