PACQUIAO?S ANNOUNCEMENT OF OBAMA MEETING PREMATURE
By Ronnie Nathanielsz
PhilBoxing.com
Thu, 10 Feb 2011
Top Rank Promotions has issued a clarification on the reported meeting between pound-for-pound king Manny Pacquiao and his wife Jinkee with US President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama at the White House next Tuesday.
Dena Duboef, the daughter of Top Rank promoter Bob Arum informed ABS-CBN?s Dyan Castillejo that there was no confirmation at this time of the supposed meeting. Duboef said ?everything is premature and nothing has been confirmed by the White House.?
Pacquiao himself excitedly blurted out the news of the meeting in an interview with Castillejo and several other reports during his son's birthday last Saturday.
He reiterated that he would ask President Obama for assistance for the province of Sarangani which he represents, prior to his departure for the US on Wednesday evening.
The Inquirer learned that the courtesy call on the US President was being arranged by influential former US Senate Democratic leader Harry Reid.
Pacquiao campaigned for Reid in the last senatorial elections in Nevada and was believed to have helped him win a close contest.
Pacquiao was credited with delivering the swing votes of Filipino-Americans who responded to Pacquiao?s appeal on behalf of Reid at a major rally in Las Vegas in the final stages of the campaign.
Castillejo quoted Pacquiao as saying he was "excited because my dream was to face President Obama and to talk to him." He told ABS-CBN he would ask Obama to help provide assistance in bringing progress to Sarangani province which Pacquiao represents in the Philippine congress.
Pacquiao also told PEP (the Philippine Entertainment Portal) that his heart was full to realize that Obama knew him and added "no matter where I go I carry our country's name."
Pacquiao will become the first Filipino boxer to enter the White House and it is not everybody who could be invited to the White House to meet with the US President. Pacquiao pointed out Obama is one of the most important people in the world.
He said his wife Jinkee was truly excited and could hardly believe that they would visit Washington D.C and meet the US President.
When the Inquirer contact Arum who is a Democrat and a close and longtime friend of senator Reid about the supposed meeting earlier this week, Arum said he was "not allowed to talk about the meeting with President Obama" which is understandable as a matter of protocol since the announcement should be made by the White House and the State Department.
Meantime, Arum was ecstatic over the fact that tickets for the May 7 WBO welterweight title defense of Pacquiao against former champion Shane Mosley had "all gone."
The astute promoter who switched from HBO Sports to Showtime which is owned by the
CBS network told the Inquirer "the whole connection with CBS has been unbelievable." Arum said he expects the May 7 nfight at the MGM Grand Garden Arena to "turn in the biggest numbers he (Pacquiao) has ever done" on pay-per-view.
While HBO is linked to 26 million homes, CBS reaches 115 million and its broad-based programming is expected to spotlight both Pacquiao and Jinkee in various shows that would solidify Pacquiao's position as a crossover star.
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Ronnie Nathanielsz.
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