Today in Philippine sports scene, we round up the freshest and latest update on your favorite pinoy sports that incidentally all starts with the letter B–boxing, basketball and billiards.
BOXING – Pacquiao vs Solis
Nearly 4 years after his epic win vs Marco Antonio Barrera, Manny “Pacman” Pacquiao returns this weekend to the Alamo Dome at San Antonio, Texas. Manny flew the American Airways jet together with his wife Jinkee, and a handful of entourage that also includes his Australian trainer Justine Fortune.
“I am really excited to be back to the place where I scored one of the biggest wins of my career”, said Pacquiao in Tagalog.Manny and his group was welcomed by Texas State Rep. Joe Farias, who put a big Mexican sombrero on Pacquiao, who happily smiles and waved to the crowd at the airport.
“I am thrilled to be back and i can assure boxing fans that we will give them a great show”, said Pacquiao. Pacquaio is set to face the undefeated Mexican boxer Jorge Solis on April 14 in Alamodome.
Pinoy BASKETBALL
PBA fans in the middle east will surely get thrilled as the two most popular team, Barangay Ginebra and Purefoods TJ Hotdogs, will face-off in Dubai on friday,as PBA holds it’s first middle east game.
Unfortunately, the Gin kings, the reigning Philippine Cup Champion, might continue to miss the services of several members of the team like Marc Caguioa and Jayjay Helterbrand who are with the national team, as well as Eric Menk, Rafi Reavis and Johny Abarrientos who are all suffering from injuries.
Meanwhile, Purefoods Giant, is hopefull that they will win the game this time, despite the humiliating 66-88 scores they got against Talk ‘N Text during last year’s Philippines Cup outing in Hongkong. ” Well, we’re hoping to end the first round on a winning note and have a 4-5 card to make the middle of the standings”, coach Ryan Gregorio said.
BILLIARDS
In billiards, Rubilen Amit, lost her bid to the finals in the on-going World Women’s 9-Ball Championship held in TaoYuan County, Taiwan. Amit’s expertise in billiard did not match the masterful execution of Chinese star Xiao Ting Pan in an 11-5 score sunday night.
Amit’s best sequence came in a 2-2 tie score earlier in the winners break match. But despite the loss, Amit’s glory came in when she was named member of the national team to the the South East Asian Games this December by the Philippine billiards officials.
“She (Amit) just showed the world that our female pool players can also attain the same success of our men’s player”, said Billiards and Snooker Congress of the Philippines president Ernesto Fajardo.
As the 8-ball and 9-ball gold winner in 2005 Manila Southeast Asian Games, Rubilen Amit became the first official member of the RP biliards team to the SEA Games while other candidates are still being evaluated.
