The minor controversy before the start of the Manny Pacquiao-Antonio Margarito fight was very similar to the Philippine elections. One protagonist, usually the one who is not favored, tries to stall the opponent by using all sorts of legalities.
The issue on the hand wrap of Pacquiao was not even an issue, which makes it sound very much like our elections that get stalled because of the most minute or sometimes simply imagined violations.
Anyway, everyone else has said their piece on the fight and lauded Pacquiao for the victory. I applauded when the decision was announced. It was a good fight and what made it better that Pacquiao won.
Rewinding back to a few minutes before the fight started, it was very obvious who among the Pinoys going up the ring was most scared.
It wasn't any of the fighters, all four of them, including Pacquiao, not the handlers of the pugilists or even the hangers on.
The most scared was probably Zyrene Parsad, who sang the Lupang Hinirang. In the previous Pacquiao fights, the singer of the national anthem had been roasted for not doing it right.
She did miss out on the last part of the song and I hope our purists and those who simply want to nitpick would give the lovely lady a chance.
* * *
One best lesson that we can learn from last Sunday's fight is that sportsmanship takes any champion to an even higher level of accomplishment.
Pacquiao pummeled Margarito, but despite the nature of their sport that requires the fighters to exchange blows, the Pinoy champ showed that he did not want to permanently maim his foe.
More than a plus point for Pacquiao and boxing, the act was something very good for sports in general.
* * *
While we were busy following the action in Arlington, Texas last Sunday, a group of judokas from Cebu City were competing in a tournament in Iloilo.
Getting the team there was not a problem as my good friend Chester Cokaliong of Cokaliong Shipping Lines Inc. (CSLI) immediately agreed to give the players free passage to and from Iloilo City via his award-winning ship, MV Filipinas Cebu.
There were a total of players sent to the competition accompanied by one coach.
The haul was three gold medals, three silvers and two bronzes.
Congratulations to my fellow judokas. Keep it up!
* * *
MILESTONES: Belated birthday greetings to Alvic Josol, Isolde Amante, and Charisse Ramirez-Pinkerton, who all turned a year older last Monday.
The same goes to Manuel 'Bunny' Pages, Rianne Tecson, and Valeriano 'Chikoy' Tomol III, who celebrated yesterday.
Today's greetings go to Iris Castillo-Cular, Rommel Ligayo, and Atty. Cristina Gabutina.
More power to all of you!