By Ronnie Nathanielsz
Filipino boxing hero Manny Pacquiao has received a hero’s welcome in the Thai capital of Bangkok during a whirlwind trip.
Veteran Bangkok Post columnist Edward Tangarajah told BoxingScene.com, insidesports.ph, Standard Today and Viva Sports the reception Pacquiao received was amazing. He said the world’s No. 1 pound-for-pound king met with Thailand ’s Minister of Tourism and Sports at which they had lengthy and fruitful discussions.
Thangarajah said Pacquiao later met with Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva at Government House for some thirty minutes.
Pacquiao’s business manager Eric Pineda in an overseas telephone conversation with Standard Today said the visit went very well and was extremely successful.” He said Pacquiao and the Thai premier “basically discussed sports and Manny’s career” recalling that he won his first world title with an 8th round knockout over Thai hero and WBC flyweight champion Chatchai Sasakul in December 1998
Pacquiao is scheduled to return in time to host his one day 5-cock derby on Tuesday at the Araneta Coliseum, after which the Filipino boxing hero Manny Pacquiao will leave for Australia with wife Jinkee and their children on a one-week family vacation.
Pacquiao’s adviser Michael Koncz who didn’t join him on the trip to Bangkok but stayed behind to attend to getting the necessary visas and booking the airline tickets and hotel accommodation in Sydney said “Manny wants a quiet family vacation” and doesn’t want to attend welcome affairs and other activities that would deny him time with his family.
One of those who wishes to host Pacquiao and his family at a private dinner is well-known Australian promoter and TV boxing show host Peter Maniatis who interviewed Pacquiao a couple of years ago in the US when Pacquiao said he would like to visit Australia.
He is expected to fly to the US following his return from Australia provided the so-called swine flu scare tapers off.
Top Rank promoter Bob Arum told us last week that Pacquiao would receive the “Fighter of the Year” Award from the Boxing Writers Association of America for the second time on June 12 and watch the title fight between Miguel Cotto and Ghana ’s Joshua Clottey at Madison Square Garden the following day.
Cotto is one of the fighters being mentioned as a possible opponent for the world’s No.1 pound-for-pound fighter on October 17 in Las Vegas although both Cotto and champion Sugar Shane Mosley have said they would not come down in weight to fight Pacquiao.
Key advisers in the Pacquiao camp have indicated they would prefer that Pacquiao waits for the results of the July 18 showdown between Floyd Mayweather Jr and Juan Manuel Marquez and fight the winner which most analysts claim should be the bigger Mayweather Jr.
BoxingScene.com, insidesports.ph, Standard Today and Viva Sports that broke the story on the one-day visit to Thailand learned that Pacquiao was accompanied by his lawyer Franklin “Jeng” Gacal and business manager Eric Pineda as well as four San Miguel Corporation executives.
The party flew aboard the private jet of San Miguel Corporation since Pacquiao was scheduled to be part of a marketing effort in Thailand .
A report from Bangkok said that Pacquiao was also scheduled to hold a news conference at the Four Seasons Hotel .
