Big prizes in Xmas contest

As usual, we’ve got big prizes at stake in our traditional Christmas contest and we’re making it super easy for all of you to join in so you’ll be able to take home special gifts from our generous sponsors and benefactors.

We’re still gathering the prizes for you. Every day, we’re getting calls to confirm more and more prizes so we expect another windfall when we finally announce our winners on Sunday, Dec. 21.

This is our 10th Christmas contest. It’s our small way of saying thanks for your support. It’s also the time of year to share our blessings as we thank the Lord for the gift of life and celebrate His birth.

So far, here are some of our confirmed prizes – four P2,500 SM gift certificates from businessman Hermie Esguerra, 10 P500 SM gift certificates from Philippine Taekwondo Association president Robert Aventajado, 12 watches, 24 bottles of Blackwater body spray, 12 bottles of Ever Bilena silkening body lotion and 12 bottles of Careline body lotion from former PBL chairman Dioceldo Sy and gift packs from Air21, Philippine Sports Commission, Planet Sports, Harbour Centre, Chris Sports, Pro Solutions, Stratworks Marketing and many, many more.

To join, simply write down the correct answers to these three questions:

1. Whom did Manny Pacquiao dethrone to win his first world championship (WBC flyweight title) in Thailand in 1998?

2. Who was Asia’s first-ever world boxing champion (he was a Filipino)?

3. Who are the four reigning Filipino world boxing champions (WBO minimumweight, IBF flyweight, WBO bantamweight and WBC lightweight)?

Put your answers on a slip of paper. Don’t forget to write your name, address, age, occupation (if student, what course, year, school) and telephone number. Also, in one sentence, write why you read The Philippine Star from cover to cover. Include a masthead of The Philippine Star (no Xerox copies, please) taken from any issue from Dec. 16 (today) up to Dec. 19 (Friday, our cut-off deadline). One entry, one masthead. You may send in as many entries as you wish. All entries must be addressed to “The Christmas Contest” Philippine Star Sports, R. Oca, Jr. and Railroad Streets, Port Area, Manila.

Deadline is 4 p.m. this Friday, Dec.19. We will name our 25 winners in this column on Sunday, Dec. 21. Prizes will be awarded to our winners on Tues, Dec. 23, starting 10 a.m. in The Philippine Star office. A photograph of our winners will be published in the sports section of The Philippine Star.

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International boxing matchmaker Jun Sarreal will be treated to a free dinner every night for one month by his friends from the Rotary Club of Rizal Mid-East.

“They’ll do it by rotation,” beamed Sarreal yesterday. “That’s my prize for betting on Manny (Pacquiao). There was never any doubt in my mind he would beat (Oscar) de la Hoya.”

Sarreal related that he was visiting former Sen. Ramon Revilla when he saw the ageless movie legend scribble instructions for his son Bong to bet a bundle on Pacquiao about a week before the Dream Match. Sen. Revilla, unable to speak, is recovering from a stroke and is now resting at home. The rumor was Sen. Revilla bet $10,000 on Pacquiao.

“Manny’s advantage is you don’t know where his punches are coming from,” explained Sarreal. “He makes you dizzy. He throws punches from different angles. De la Hoya was a confused fighter in their fight. I give credit to Manny’s skills, Bob Arum’s promotional genius, the masterful strategy of Freddie Roach and an excellent conditioning program for his victory.”

Sarreal said when Pacquiao tipped the scales at 142 pounds and De la Hoya 145, he immediately knew which fighter was in better shape.

“I would’ve been worried if Manny weighed 147,” said Sarreal. “He came in just right. As for De la Hoya, bringing down his weight to 145 took too much out of him. He had little left for the fight. When De la Hoya marched into the arena, he looked tense and haggard. That was when I was 100 percent convinced he had no chance against Manny.”

As for Pacquiao’s next opponent, Sarreal said he prefers Floyd Mayweather. “I think Manny’s camp is leaning towards Mayweather,” said Sarreal. “If Manny fights him like he fought De la Hoya, there’s no way he’ll lose. Mayweather is the logical next opponent because he has beaten De la Hoya and (Ricky) Hatton. He was also the world’s No. 1 pound-for-pound fighter before Manny.”

Sarreal, the Rotary of Rizal Mid-East president, said he has been busy doing social work with the club. He recently spearheaded a medical and dental mission in Antipolo for over 1,000 beneficiaries.