Pinoy pride

There were a lot of cranky Pinoys last Sunday (and until Monday) following the defeat, decisive this time, of boxing idol Manny Pacquiao at the hands of Mexico’s Juan Manuel Marquez.

No, it wasn’t because Pacquiao fans lost money on bets. For the fans that I know personally, the disappointment was genuinely deeper.

Pacquiao belongs to that rare breed of Pinoy: a global superstar, achieving fame (and enormous wealth) purely on his own merit rather than due to a famous surname, the right connections, or membership in a religious mafia. He is the only Pinoy I can think of whom American superstars (in sports, entertainment and politics) approach to shake hands with, chat or pose for pictures.

Born and bred in the Philippines, with an unmistakable Pinoy accent, Pacquiao is the all-Filipino everyman who rose from humble beginnings, utilized his natural gifts to the fullest, and vanquished foes from all corners of the planet, reaping honors not only for himself but also for his country. The very poor embrace him as one of their own; the elite place their bets on him (although one taipan told STAR editors last week, with characteristic prescience, that Pacquiao would lose to Marquez).

I’m no sports fan and I think boxing should be abolished, but I have to be blind not to see why Pacquiao is an icon of Pinoy pride.

That pride took a beating last Sunday, collapsing face down together with Pacquiao on the ring of the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.

I’m one of the few Pinoys who didn’t watch the fight, despite an offer of free live screening in my home TV from SkyCable. But within hours after the knockout, I could visualize all six rounds as everyone around me (plus broadcast commentators) discussed every detail of the fight, providing a blow-by-blow account and giving opinions on what went wrong, right down to that handshake with losing US Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney.

It was a scary knockout. I’m sure doctors have told Pacquiao and his family that he would need follow-up medical checkups so any indication of serious injury or long-term debilitation can be detected early.

If such indications surface in the coming weeks, they may compel Pacquiao to listen to his popular mother, Dionisia, who has said she wants her son to hang up his gloves (mother knows best) and focus on politics instead.

I’m a fan of Mommy Dionisia the entertainer, but there is something depressing about politics being seen as the alternative career for boxers past their prime (plus their spouses and other relatives).

Pacquiao diehards insist that he’s not yet past his prime and there’s still a lot of fight in him. But in this brutal sport, age matters. At some point in a boxer’s life, even if he has a chest full of championship belts, someone younger, faster, stronger – better – will come along and beat the daylights out of him.

And beat him, again and again. If at that point the fading champ has not yet felt the onset of Parkinson’s Disease, Alzheimer’s, or any of the other debilitating illnesses that tend to afflict those who have their heads knocked around regularly, he would be lucky; then he can enjoy his billions and perhaps manage a successful career change.

In addition to age, colossal wealth tends to soften boxing champions. It’s no coincidence that many of the world’s best boxers have humble backgrounds.

And then there’s religion. As one avid sports fan in our newsroom observed, those who are in the business of smashing people’s faces can’t be preoccupied at the same time with spreading love and peace. It blunts a boxer’s killer instinct.

And when the edge is blunted, it may be time to admit that tapos na ang laban (the game’s over).

Retirement from a hugely successful career is, of course, a personal matter. It will be interesting to find out what Pacquiao finally decides to do regarding his sport after that knockout punch from Marquez.

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In the meantime, our sports officials (if they can be peeled away from their turf wars and other fights) should start developing new boxing talent.

From Pinoy athletes’ performance in international competitions, it’s clear that we can excel in boxing. It probably helps that Pacquiao is there to serve as a role model for budding boxers aspiring for victory, fame and, why not, fortune.

But there’s this growing interest in soccer that should also be encouraged, starting in grade school. At least this type of football is not a throwback to the age of the gladiators, which is what boxing is, though less brutal and bloody. We can see how Pinoys rejoice when the Azkals win.

There is steadily increasing Pinoy interest in the World Cup, including in the fate of Paul the octopus in the last competition.

Other countries, realizing the value of sports honors in boosting national pride, invest heavily in developing athletes, providing support even to those who go pro.

As you saw in the movie, South Africa under Nobel peace laureate Nelson Mandela also used football as a unifying factor in their post-apartheid society.

We’re still waiting for our first Olympic gold medal. Just one win and I think it will inspire more Pinoys to aim for the gold.

Pacquiao’s global success has inspired Pinoys to go into boxing and aim for world recognition. His loss is a blow to national pride, but we must live with the fact that no boxing champion stays at the top forever.

Sooner or later, a boxing champion must say tapos na ang boksing. What we must do is develop other athletes who can keep alive Pinoy pride.