Before 6:00AM this morning, I received a text from a friend of mine saying that she had just arrived in Manila and that she’ll see me in about 90 minutes so we can catch the Pacquiao-Hatton match in Ascend – advertised as the premier high-energy dance club, restaurant and cocktail lounge in the Fort. I’ve never been there and had no intention of going there since I’m more into roughing it up in the great outdoors but she had 5 free tickets for the match and we were going to meet several of her other footballer guy friends from Dumaguete. The tickets were priced at 600 pesos each with free breakfast buffet and a drink. It was hard to say no – especially since my mind was still devoid of its usual dosage of caffeine.
I wasn’t a Pacquiao fan when I walked inside the dark rooms of Ascend. I have nothing against him really. In fact, I’m quite fond of him because of the humility he exhibits in his interviews. I’m just not into boxing. I’d rather box than watch someone else do it.
Around 10am, we were already seated with the football crowd from Dumaguete and I can say that they have represented their province well. They’re well-grounded and easy to talk to. All of them were alumni of the Siliman University from different courses and what I liked most about them was that all but one were supporters of Manchester United like me. The lone Barca fan – Marc was quite forgiveable since I was able to have a decent conversation with him anyway about life and other stuffs. Hehehe!
It took about another hour or so before Paquiao’s match began and when it finally did, I watched with full attention from the singing of the national anthems and when Hatton fell on the second round. Of course, I don’t have to tell you what happened during the match. It’s all in the news.
So now, I am back home – happy – feeling like a winner and we are, we all are. The people’s champ has won another victory for our country and now I know why millions are fans of his. He is charming, humble, passionate, skillful, and the quality which I admire most about him is his bravery. I was an athlete who represented my school for competition. It’s never easy. Pressure’s coming from every where, from myself, my coach, the school, my teammates so when I saw Pacquiao with his huge smile before the fight – a smile filled with anticipation and his intense focus during the match, I recognized an exceptional athlete which only few can ever achieve to be.
I wasn’t a Pacquiao fan when I walked inside the dark rooms of Ascend. I have nothing against him really. In fact, I’m quite fond of him because of the humility he exhibits in his interviews. I’m just not into boxing. I’d rather box than watch someone else do it.
Around 10am, we were already seated with the football crowd from Dumaguete and I can say that they have represented their province well. They’re well-grounded and easy to talk to. All of them were alumni of the Siliman University from different courses and what I liked most about them was that all but one were supporters of Manchester United like me. The lone Barca fan – Marc was quite forgiveable since I was able to have a decent conversation with him anyway about life and other stuffs. Hehehe!
It took about another hour or so before Paquiao’s match began and when it finally did, I watched with full attention from the singing of the national anthems and when Hatton fell on the second round. Of course, I don’t have to tell you what happened during the match. It’s all in the news.
So now, I am back home – happy – feeling like a winner and we are, we all are. The people’s champ has won another victory for our country and now I know why millions are fans of his. He is charming, humble, passionate, skillful, and the quality which I admire most about him is his bravery. I was an athlete who represented my school for competition. It’s never easy. Pressure’s coming from every where, from myself, my coach, the school, my teammates so when I saw Pacquiao with his huge smile before the fight – a smile filled with anticipation and his intense focus during the match, I recognized an exceptional athlete which only few can ever achieve to be.