PACQUIAO PLAYS BASKETBALL
By Eddie Alinea
PhilBoxing.com
Sun, 20 Mar 2011
BAGUIO CITY --Last Saturday, last day of Manny Pacquiao?s first week of training here, trainer Freddie Roach reduced the nine-rounds with the mitts the duo did Thursday and Friday to only six.
That would have made the eight-division world champion happy with the thought that he still had to play a tune up with his team later in the day against local squad T-House.
But no, the Pacman still wanted more and the ever accommodating Roach obliged giving him a couple rounds more even without his usual body protector.
After the day?s work, there was no punching the bags nor the speed ball, happiness was very evident in Pacquiao?s face as he horse played with members of his team, particularly assistant trainer Buboy Fernandez and utility man cum dietician Nonoy Neri.
The lean crowd that watched the session thought it was over for the day, but remained inside the Cooyeesan Hotel premises when told that Team Pacquiao still had to play in preparations for the Pacquiao Cup, a basketball tournament to start Today in his honor.
And an hour later, they saw the other version of Pacquiao as an athlete. No longer waving and throwing punches atop the ring, but dribbling and shooting the hoops on the hotel?s basketball court.
And they were amazed watching him drove, jumped and assist teammates in the some 30 minutes that he saw action, helping Team Pacquiao win the tune up match in a come-from behind 87-82 count.
Pacquiao might not be as superb as a puncher, was full of strength personified. His 15 points in the first half alone was the reason why his team was only trailing 45-48 at the end of the half. That, too, made his fans ask where he gets strength that after three hours of workout, he still managed to play the game he loves next.
Pacquiao had 15 points in the first 24 minutes, nine of them from downtown where he went three-for-four, a feat even the best in the professional league PBA would be envious about.
Pacquiao ended up with a team high 17 points, the last two of which coming in the dying seconds that helped Team Pacquiao scored the win, which he said augurs well in its campaign in the Pacquiao Cup tournament.
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