MANILA // Manny Pacquiao, the Filipino world boxing champion in seven weight divisions, arrived in Manila this week pondering his future in boxing and a new career in politics. Accompanied by his wife, Jinkee, and the usual host of hangers-on, he was greeted at Manila's airport early on Monday by hundreds of adoring fans who had waited overnight.
His children, Jimuel, Michael and Princess, also welcomed their father while his youngest, Queen Elizabeth, waited back in his home- town of General Santos City with her nanny. During a brief press conference Pacquiao said he would make an announcement soon about his boxing career and whether he would fight the American boxer Floyd Mayweather Jr. Pacquiao is said to be under a lot of pressure, particularly from his family, to hang his gloves up.
His mother, Dionisia, is understood to have begged her son's promoter, Bob Arum, and trainer, Freddie Roach, to help convince him to call it a day, according to a report carried by GMANews.TV. The Pacquiao matriarch wanted the world's top pound-for-pound boxer to retire after his bloody bout with Miguel Cotto last November. However her plea went unanswered and the Filipino boxing icon went on to fight African boxer Joshua Clottey in Dallas, Texas, last week. The megabuck duel with Mayweather is still being considered but Pacquiao said "I'm in no hurry."
"The fighter in him longs for that multi-million gig and battle for bragging rights with Mayweather but the son in him makes him seriously consider giving in to Mum's wish," GMANews.TV said. His wife also wants him to quit boxing. She said recently: "He has been boxing for 15 years - he has achieved everything he has ever set out to achieve. It's time Manny thinks about the future." Pacquiao said his future boxing plans are "still up in the air".
"I will sit down with my family and discuss everything later," he said without elaborating. Asked when he will fight Mayweather, Pacquiao said: "I came this far in my boxing career without Mayweather. He needs me to bolster his career more than I need him." In keeping with tradition, Pacquiao drove to a packed Catholic church in downtown Manila for a mass after breakfast with close friends and supporters.
He then briefly met President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, who gave him a three-layered chocolate cake topped with a replica of his WBO belt. Mrs Arroyo is known to be one of his biggest fans, but not big enough for him to join her party for the elections on May 10. "It is refreshing to see Manny Pacquiao start his political career with the same energy and dedication he shows in the boxing ring," Mrs Arroyo's spokesman, Gary Olivar, said.
Later this week Pacquiao will fly to General Santos City where he will spend some time with his children before embarking on his next fight, this time outside the ring and on the campaign trail as he runs for a congressional seat in Sarangani province for the Nacionalista Party of the presidential contender Manny Villar. Campaigning in the local and congressional elections begins on Friday and for Pacquiao this could be his toughest fight yet.
In the midterm elections in 2007 he was hammered by a woman, Darlene Antonino-Custodio, in the fight for a congressional seat in the first district of South Cotabato, losing 139,061 votes to 75,908. At the time many of his supporters and fans urged him not to run, saying he did more for the Philippines in the ring than if he gave it all up for the dark side of national politics. Apart from running for his own seat Pacquiao is also campaigning for Mr Villar, the richest politician in the country.
"What we need now is a man who rose from poverty, who understands the call of the poor like myself," Pacquiao said in an obvious reference to Mr Villar. Mr Villar, a son of a fish dealer who rose to become one of the country's most powerful men, has made poverty alleviation his principal platform. Pacquiao, who lifted himself out of deep poverty to become one of the world's richest sportsmen, has said helping the poor is also his main motivation in running for Congress.
According to a report by ABS-CBN on its web site, Pacquiao earned US$27.5 million (Dh100m) over the last two years even before his fight with Clottey last week not including pay-per-view earnings. In his fight against Cotto in November, Pacquiao reportedly got a $10m share from the 1.25 million pay-per-view buys the fight generated, ABS-CBN said. foreign.desk@thenational.ae
Gran Gala del Calcio 2019 winners
Best Player: Cristiano Ronaldo (Juventus)
Best Coach: Gian Piero Gasperini (Atalanta)
Best Referee: Gianluca Rocchi
Best Goal: Fabio Quagliarella (Sampdoria vs Napoli)
Best Team: Atalanta
Best XI: Samir Handanovic (Inter); Aleksandar Kolarov (Roma), Giorgio Chiellini (Juventus), Kalidou Koulibaly (Napoli), Joao Cancelo (Juventus*); Miralem Pjanic (Juventus), Josip Ilicic (Atalanta), Nicolo Barella (Cagliari*); Fabio Quagliarella (Sampdoria), Cristiano Ronaldo (Juventus), Duvan Zapata (Atalanta)
Serie B Best Young Player: Sandro Tonali (Brescia)
Best Women’s Goal: Thaisa (Milan vs Juventus)
Best Women’s Player: Manuela Giugliano (Milan)
Best Women’s XI: Laura Giuliani (Milan); Alia Guagni (Fiorentina), Sara Gama (Juventus), Cecilia Salvai (Juventus), Elisa Bartoli (Roma); Aurora Galli (Juventus), Manuela Giugliano (Roma), Valentina Cernoia (Juventus); Valentina Giacinti (Milan), Ilaria Mauro (Fiorentina), Barbara Bonansea (Juventus)
LA LIGA FIXTURES
Friday (UAE kick-off times)
Real Sociedad v Leganes (midnight)
Saturday
Alaves v Real Valladolid (4pm)
Valencia v Granada (7pm)
Eibar v Real Madrid (9.30pm)
Barcelona v Celta Vigo (midnight)
Sunday
Real Mallorca v Villarreal (3pm)
Athletic Bilbao v Levante (5pm)
Atletico Madrid v Espanyol (7pm)
Getafe v Osasuna (9.30pm)
Real Betis v Sevilla (midnight)
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Scoreline
Australia 2-1 Thailand
Australia: Juric 69', Leckie 86'
Thailand: Pokklaw 82'
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Israel Palestine on Swedish TV 1958-1989
Director: Goran Hugo Olsson
Rating: 5/5
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cyl turbo
Power: 201hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 320Nm at 1,750-4,000rpm
Transmission: 6-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 8.7L/100km
Price: Dh133,900
On sale: now
Dubai Rugby Sevens, December 5 -7
World Sevens Series Pools
A – Fiji, France, Argentina, Japan
B – United States, Australia, Scotland, Ireland
C – New Zealand, Samoa, Canada, Wales
D – South Africa, England, Spain, Kenya
SERIE A FIXTURES
Saturday (All UAE kick-off times)
Cagliari v AC Milan (6pm)
Lazio v Napoli (9pm)
Inter Milan v Atalanta (11.45pm)
Sunday
Udinese v Sassuolo (3.30pm)
Sampdoria v Brescia (6pm)
Fiorentina v SPAL (6pm)
Torino v Bologna (6pm)
Verona v Genoa (9pm)
Roma V Juventus (11.45pm)
Parma v Lecce (11.45pm)
Chinese Grand Prix schedule (in UAE time)
Friday: First practice - 6am; Second practice - 10am
Saturday: Final practice - 7am; Qualifying - 10am
Sunday: Chinese Grand Prix - 10.10am
Our family matters legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
BEETLEJUICE BEETLEJUICE
Starring: Winona Ryder, Michael Keaton, Jenny Ortega
Director: Tim Burton
Rating: 3/5
The Perfect Couple
Starring: Nicole Kidman, Liev Schreiber, Jack Reynor
Creator: Jenna Lamia
Rating: 3/5
How to protect yourself when air quality drops
Install an air filter in your home.
Close your windows and turn on the AC.
Shower or bath after being outside.
Wear a face mask.
Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.
If driving, turn your engine off when stationary.
Abu Dhabi GP schedule
Friday: First practice - 1pm; Second practice - 5pm
Saturday: Final practice - 2pm; Qualifying - 5pm
Sunday: Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi Grand Prix (55 laps) - 5.10pm
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EMIRATES'S%20REVISED%20A350%20DEPLOYMENT%20SCHEDULE
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The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cylturbo
Transmission: seven-speed DSG automatic
Power: 242bhp
Torque: 370Nm
Price: Dh136,814
The specs
Engine: 1.5-litre turbo
Power: 181hp
Torque: 230Nm
Transmission: 6-speed automatic
Starting price: Dh79,000
On sale: Now
Florida: The critical Sunshine State
Though mostly conservative, Florida is usually always “close” in presidential elections. In most elections, the candidate that wins the Sunshine State almost always wins the election, as evidenced in 2016 when Trump took Florida, a state which has not had a democratic governor since 1991.
Joe Biden’s campaign has spent $100 million there to turn things around, understandable given the state’s crucial 29 electoral votes.
In 2016, Mr Trump’s democratic rival Hillary Clinton paid frequent visits to Florida though analysts concluded that she failed to appeal towards middle-class voters, whom Barack Obama won over in the previous election.
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Kandahar%20
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