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SUNDAY
for me has always been about time well-spent for the
family.
But on
Sunday, attending a late morning Mass changed somewhat
when I decided to watch the Manny Pacquiao-David Diaz
fight on TV on a delayed basis. I must admit that I
really don’t bother to see all of Manny’s fight in the
past whether or not on closed-circuit pay-TV or on a
delayed basis beam.
I got
interested to watch the delayed beam after hearing the
live blow-by-blow account of the fight on radio while I
was eating my breakfast.
This
must be good, I supposed, so the decision was made to
leave later in the afternoon.
Whew!
Just like what those who saw it live experienced, I felt
like sitting through the glorious days of boxing when my
favorites like Muhammad Ali, Marvin Hagler, Thomas
Hearns and Sugar Ray Leonard were lording over their
respective divisions.
Pacquiao fashioned out a tremendous performance by
methodically beating Diaz to a pulp. Both of Diaz’s eyes
were on the verge of closing, as blood continued to flow
from one side of his face, when Manny’s left caught him
that stopped the lopsided fight in the ninth.
Manny
finished what the great Flash Elorde had started. A
Filipino has now conquered the lightweight division,
which Elorde failed to accomplish in two tries several
decades back. With that victory, Manny already placed
himself on top of the altar of not only among the local
boxing greats, but also among the great names in world
boxing.
He is
too young, but he no longer has to prove anything as he
has already bagged four world titles. With the way he
fought like a tiger on Sunday, I believe Manny will
thrive in the lightweight division. But three more
fights in the future is more than enough for Manny to
retire and enjoy the fruits of his hard work.
He
already has the body of a super-lightweight that’s why a
fight with England’s Ricky Hatton is being built up this
early. Manny is now fighting at more than 140 lb and
fighting Hatton at his 135-lb division is no longer a
problem. But that would have to wait for a while as
Hatton is set to fight a certain Paulie Malignaggi. As
of now, he is being pitted against another dangerous
130-pounder, Edwin Valero from Venezuela on
November 8.
What
would happen along the way will be another interesting
continuation of a saga that is Manny Pacquiao. His
victory last Sunday made the Filipinos very proud once
again. Hurrah for you Manny! You’re great!
FOUR
major Philippine Racing Commission (Philracom) stakes
races will be held in three days of continued big-time
racing at the Santa Ana Park starting on Friday.
The
resetting of the second leg of the Philracom-sponsored
Triple Crown Championship Series, the Hopeful Stakes,
and the Pearl II Stakes has something to do with it.
Both
the second leg of the Triple Crown Series, dubbed the JV
Ongpin Cup, and the Hopeful Stakes will be run Sunday
with the same set of runners, while the Philracom-sponsored
Pearl II Stakes will be held Friday with also the same
set of declared runners. On Saturday it will be the
Philracom Two-Year-Old Stakes, which was originally
scheduled for Sunday.
Meanwhile, the third and final leg of the Triple Crown
Series and the corresponding Hopeful Stakes have also
been reset for August 3.
The
nomination will be held on July 15, while the
declaration will be on July 22.
MANY
are asking what the Gatorade Sweat Test is all about.
Sports
medicine and orthopedic expert Dr. George Canlas, the
Philippine representative to the Gatorade Asia Advisory
Board, has been going around various basketball leagues
to teach the gospel of scientific rehydration.
This
as more and more Filipino basketball players are
discovering the value of the Gatorade Sweat Test (which
consists of a Sweat Analysis and Hydration Assessment)
in their individual performance on the playing court.
Sweat
samples are collected from athletes to determine the
concentration of electrolytes, like sodium and
potassium, which they lose through sweat. The athlete is
also weighed before and after the training to measure
actual fluid loss.
Urine
samples are also collected before the activity to
determine how much hydrated he was before starting the
exercise.
According to Dr. Canlas, the increase in the number of
teams is an indication that more local players and
coaches have been educated in the importance of proper
rehydration, while Gatorade will also be doing a
school-based educational program on the matter.
The
results allow the Gatorade Sports Science Institute,
which has been conducting scientific research on the
matter for over close to four decades, to provide
recommendations to help prevent cramping, heat illness,
and optimize the athlete’s performance on the court.
On the
other hand, did you know that the Gatorade-stained shirt
of National Basketball Association champion Boston
Celtics coach Doc Rivers has been auctioned for a
staggering $55,000? Together with the accompanying
Gatorade bucket that was used in pouring the Gatorade
seconds before the Celtics were proclaimed the
champions, the shirt was bought during a charity auction
that will benefit the Boston Celtics Shamrock
Foundation.
A high
$35,000 came from an anonymous bidder but Gatorade and a
second anonymous donor each pledged $10,000 to bring the
total to $55,000.
Celtics managing partner and foundation president Steve
Pagliuca offered a personal donation of another $35,000
to the charity if the winning bidder would share the
shirt at certain times for display. |
