Team Pacquiao wins ?Peace in Zamboanga? basketball series
By Eddie Alinea
PhilBoxing.com
Fri, 13 Sep 2013
MANILA (PNA) --Team Pacquiao swept Team Zamboanga in their two-game ?Peace in Zamboanga City? goodwill series held Wednesday night at the British School-Manila at The Fort. Boxing icon Manny Pacquiao sank two free throws with 0.9 second left that proved to be the winning marker in a 106-105 victory in the opening encounter.
Burning the hoops with accurate shooting from the three-point area where he sank three, the eight-division world champion, likewise, drove and heave for 25 points in leading all scorers. Pacquiao played the entire 40-minute contest without relief in what he said is part of his preparation for his coming fight with Brandon Rios this coming November 24 in Macau.
Five minutes after the opening match, the two teams trooped to the playing court anew with Pacquiao?s boys repeating over the
Manila-based Zamboanguenos, 107-98. Pacquiao also scored 25 points despite not seeing action in the first quarter, this time spiked by five triples.
Businessman-sportsman Junie Navarro, who organized the event through Pacquiao?s private secretary Stephanie Domingo, said the two-game series was the Manila-based Zamboanguenos? way of expressing sympathy to their town mates back home who have been victims of the on-going arm conflict between government forces and the breakaway faction Moro National Liberation Force.
?We thought of coming up with this project para naman ipaalam sa aming kababayan sa Zamboanga na kami dito na base sa Maynila ay nakikiramay sa nangyayari sa kanila,? Navarro said.
?Nagpapasalamat nga kami kay Boss Manny at pumayag silang makipaglaro sa amin para sa aming dalangin na magbalik ang katahimikan sa aming siyudad,? Navarro, whose family is a pillar in the province?s sports development program, particularly in baseball and softball, added.
?Well, noble naman ang adhikain ng laro, kaya naman pumayag ako agad na maglaro alangalang na rin sa kapayapaan sa Zamobanga,? Pacquiao, for his part said.
?Tutal kailangan ko rin naming mag-ensayo, so why not? ? The games serve as a substitute kung hindi ako nakakapag-roadwork sa umaga as I have to do sana. We?ve been playing basketball naman talaga almost nightly, kapag walang roadwork.?
?Alam na naman ninyong lahat na ang basketball ay isa sa mga sports na hilig kong laruin kahit noong hindi pa ako nagbo-boksing,? the Pacman, who a few weeks ago sprained his ankle while playing, explained. ?Nang mag-boksing na ako, patuloy pa rin ang laro ko. Stamina-building ang basketball at marami ring pakinabang para sa conditioning.?
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Eddie Alinea.
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