Saturday, January 20, 2007 5 yrs. more for Manny By Frank C. Calapre Sun.Star Correspondent
MANILA - People's champion Manny Pacquiao yesterday vowed to give more honor to the country for the next five years.
The 28-year-old General Santos City-native Pacquiao beamed with pride as he received the highest “Bayani ng Lahi” award during the 2006 Philippine Sportswriters Association (PSA) Annual Rites at the Entertainment Hall of the Mall of Asia in Pasay City.
“I’m very thankful to all Filipinos for this prestigious award. I owe it all to you,” Pacquiao said in his acceptance speech.
He was one of the eight Filipino achievers named as “2006 Athletes of the Year,” along with Efren “Bata” Reyes and Ronato Alcano of billiards, Biboy Rivera of bowling, and 15th Asian Games gold medalists Violito Payla and Joan Tipon of boxing, Rene Catalan of wushu and Antonio Gabica of billiards.
Fourth time
Pacquiao was just one of only two Filipino sports greats since 1981, who have been accorded the highest “Athlete of the Year” honors for the fourth time by the PSA. The other was bowling champion Olivia “Bong” Coo in 1982, 1983, 1984 and 1986.
The former World Boxing Council bantamweight champion Pacquiao, who stopped Mexico’s Erik Morales in the third round in Las Vegas, Nevada in November last year, was PSA’s top athlete in 2002 with Mikee Cojuangco, 2003 with CJ Suarez, 2004, with Jennifer Rosales, and with seven others in 2006.
Others who have received the prestigious plum three times were Paeng Nepumoceno (1984, 1992, 1996), Lydia de Vega (1981, 1986, 1987), Efren “Bata” Reyes (1999, 2001, 2006) and Luisito Espinosa in 1989, 1990 and 1998.
For his part, Gabica of Cebu said the award his first, somehow put him in the level of 2006 World Pool Champion Alcano, 2006 IPT World 8-ball champion Reyes, 2004 WPC champion Alex Pagulayan and Francisco :Django” Bustamante.
“This really inspires me to win this year’s World championship here in November to legitimize this ‘Athlete of the Year’ trophy. It seems I have no choice now but win the WPC,” said Gabica.
Meanwhile, Philippine Olympic Committee president Jose Cojuangco said that the quest for sports excellence will not stop in 2008 in the Beijing Olympics but will continue until the Philippines will be rated among the top five in Asia.
“Our vision is not limited to the successful participation in 2008. We hope to establish a structure that will be able to continue this program of improvement until the Philippines can be rated among the top five,” Cojuangco said as he guested the PSC awards rites.
