Filed Under (Sports) by on 07-11-2008
By Francis Ochoa
Philippine Daily Inquirer
First Posted 00:02:00 11/08/2008
MANILA, Philippines—Amid the “distraction” wrought by the issue of unpaid sanction fees, confidence within Team Pacquiao continues to soar with the belief that the Dec. 6 “Dream Match” at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas won’t end up being a nightmare.
For Manny Pacquiao, that is.
As far as Freddie Roach is concerned, Oscar De La Hoya is going to wake up bewildered after Pacquiao puts him to sleep somewhere in the first nine rounds of the year’s most anticipated fight.
“I’m so confident in Pacquiao in this fight,” Roach told FoxSports.com’s Mark Kriegel during an exclusive video interview. “We’re going to knock (De La Hoya) out nine rounds.”
The bold words come at the heels of an admission by a lawyer representing Pacquiao that the Filipino ring icon’s attention is now split between training for the Dec. 6 bout and worrying about the World Boxing Council’s threat to strip him of his title over unpaid fees.
WBC president Jose Sulaiman warned Pacquiao on Thursday that if he doesn’t cough up the $130,000 it owes the boxing body, he might be forced to strip the Pacman of the lightweight title.
“This is a bit of a distraction,” for Pacquiao who faces De La Hoya in a nontitle fight in Las Vegas, lawyer Jeng Gacal said.
Gacal said they were “surprised” by the charge that Pacquiao still owed the WBC money for his July match against David Diaz, when he won the organization’s lightweight belt.
Boxers pay fees to the WBC in exchange for the organization sanctioning their bouts.
Gacal said he had sent a letter to the WBC asking for an explanation, saying such fees had always been deducted from Pacquiao’s purses.
The WBC clarified in a statement Friday that the unpaid dues may have stemmed from a misunderstanding involving Michael Koncz, one of Pacquiao’s advisers.
The Filipino, according to the WBC, owes the organization $30,000 in unpaid sanction fees and $100,000 for the coming De La Hoya bout.
The WBC said in a statement that it felt “humiliated and betrayed” by the actions of Koncz.
Despite the controversy, Roach feels nothing can stop Pacquiao from beating De La Hoya.
“He [De La Hoya] gets quite tired at normal paces,” Roach said. “Pacquiao doesn’t fight at normal paces. We’re going to push the old man.”
“Oscar can’t really stand the pace of a Manny Pacquiao, fighting three minutes of every round, attacking him, putting the pressure on this guy, taking away his height and reach advantage by getting close and working that body where Oscar has been weak his whole career.”
With reports from Salven Lagumbay, Contributor; AFP
Filed Under (Sports) by on 05-11-2008
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Filed Under (Sports) by on 12-09-2008
Hoya trainer says Golden Boy doesn’t need him
Philippine Daily Inquirer
First Posted 01:52:00 09/12/2008
MANILA, Philippines—“Ain’t no way (Manny) Pacquiao can beat Oscar (De La Hoya). No way.”
Floyd Mayweather Sr. made this statement Tuesday to explain why he is not training De La Hoya for his Dec. 6 fight with Pacquiao at the MGM Grand Garden Arena, according to an article by Kevin Iole of Yahoo! Sports.
Mayweather Sr., wrote Iole, confirmed the split with De La Hoya after reaching him by telephone in Biloxi, Mississippi, where he is preparing Joan Guzman to face Nate Campbell in a WBA-WBO lightweight title bout on Saturday.
“Oscar doesn’t need me to beat Pacquiao,” said Mayweather, as quoted by Iole. “He really doesn’t. For this fight, Oscar can beat Pacquiao with just about anyone training him. When he hits him with that first left hook, it’s all going to be over.
“So, I’ll be honest, Oscar doesn’t need to pay the price to get me in this fight, because he’ll win this with me or without me.”
According to Iole, De La Hoya—who was in Las Vegas promoting Saturday’s lightweight bout between Joel Casamayor and Juan Manuel Marquez—had confirmed reports that Mayweather was hired to train Ricky Hatton for his Nov. 22 fight against Paulie Malignaggi.
While De La Hoya did not say who would be in his corner against Pacquiao, Iole wrote that it was a good guess that Oscar would tap Ignacio “Nacho” Beristain, who has long been regarded as the best trainer in Mexico and whom De La Hoya holds in high regard.
Beristain is the same trainer of Marquez, who carved out a draw with Pacquiao in 2004 before losing by split decision to the Filipino ring icon in their WBC super featherweight title fight last year.
Iole said that Mayweather had intimated that the split was over money, but did not criticize De La Hoya.
“I respect Oscar and I did well with him,” Iole quoted Mayweather as saying, “but he did really, really super well by having me around. Oscar got rich, rich, rich by working with me and I made what I made.”
Besides, Iole said, Mayweather Sr. doesn’t believe De La Hoya will have trouble defeating Pacquiao, who won the WBC lightweight title on June 28 in Las Vegas when he stopped champion David Diaz.
Freddie Roach, who trained De La Hoya in his split-decision loss to Floyd Mayweather Jr. in May last year, will again work for Pacquiao.
“Floyd Sr. has obligations with Ricky Hatton,” Iole quoted De La Hoya as saying. “Am I disappointed? Absolutely, I’m very disappointed. I respect Floyd Sr. very much. I respect him as a person and as a trainer. Obviously, the door is always wide open for Floyd Sr., because I truly feel that Floyd Sr. can take me, after every single fight, to a whole new level.”
Iole said that the uncertainty over when De La Hoya would fight again was the reason Mayweather decided to sign up with Hatton, noting that the trainer needed work. Steve Silva, contributor
Mark this date guys December 6, 2008
It’s now official, our very own Manny Pacquiao will meet Oscar dela Hoya! Face to Face ‘It’s Personal’
This is such an exciting event, I can’t wait to see this fight. Surely, Filipino fans won’t miss this. I’ll be uploading more pics and updates here about this once in a lifetime event.
Your comments are welcome. Post your Prediction here. Who’s going to win? Manny or Oscar?
Filed Under (Sports) by on 26-08-2008
$1.1B Tiger Woods Dubai course plan ‘on track’
By ADAM SCHRECK, AP Business Writer Aug 25, 11:27 am EDT
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP)—Tiger Woods is already the world’s top-ranked golfer and highest paid athlete. And if all goes according to plan, he’ll soon be sporting his biggest trophy yet: a luxury golf course hewn from the sands of the Arabian desert.
The ambitious project, touted as the first course in the world designed by the 2008 U.S. Open champion, remains a work in progress on the outskirts of this Middle Eastern boomtown—much like the rapidly growing city itself.
But the project’s chief said Monday that the first phase of the development, which among other unlikely features promises 5 million square feet of locally grown grass and more than 30,000 full-grown imported trees, is on target for completion sometime in the last three months of 2009.
“Our schedule is currently on track,” Abdulla Al Gurg said in an interview with The Associated Press.
However, Gurg did leave the Dubai-based developer Tatweer some wiggle room in case the city’s notorious work delays snag one of its most high-profile projects, adding: “Our key criteria is adherence to excellence.”
Tatweer is a division of Dubai Holding, which is owned by the emirate and its ruler, Sheik Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum. The golf course project, known as The Tiger Woods Dubai, will be part of a massive theme-park complex known as Dubailand the company is building on barren desert along the edge of the city.
Gurg said the company is spending 4 billion dirhams—about $1.09 billion— to build the course and the surrounding housing development.
He wouldn’t say how much Woods was being paid.
Gurg spoke following an event to showcase the project at a glitzy beachfront hotel just down the road from a man-made marina surrounded by dozens of skyscrapers, many still under construction.
Full-page ads in Emirates newspapers have been trying to entice local buyers to consider one of the 197 so-called palaces, mansions and villas that will flank the course.
The project’s first stage will consist of the 18-hole, par 72 course itself, as well as a golf academy and a driving range. A hotel and most of the gated housing community should be finished by the second or third quarter of 2010, Gurg said.
On Monday, Woods paid his first visit to the construction site since a June knee surgery sidelined him for the rest of the 2008 season. He said he didn’t know when he might return to play next year.
“It’s frustrating for me,” he said when asked about the injury. Woods didn’t rule out defending his title as Dubai Desert Classic champion, adding that he plans to “be hitting golf balls at the beginning of the year.”
Despite its dry, desert climate—temperatures on Monday hovered around 100 degrees Fahrenheit, or 38 degrees Celsius—Dubai is rapidly becoming a major golfing destination.
The city, which is banking on tourism to diversify its economy, each year hosts the Dubai Desert Classic and Dubai Ladies Masters.
Woods said he drew inspiration for his first course from clubs in the “sandbelt” golfing region near Melbourne, Australia. “We want this golf course to play fast, quick,” he said, while remaining appealing to a broad range of players.
Woods is not the only golfer laying out links in Dubai.
An 18-hole course designed by Colin Montgomerie was launched in 2006, and another by Ernie Els opened earlier this year. Greg Norman, Sergio Garcia, Pete Dye and Vijay Singh are also working on courses scheduled to open this year or next.
Dubai developers have tapped other marquee names as well, as they struggle to make their projects stand out in an increasingly crowded real-estate market.
Donald Trump last week hosted a star-studded bash to tout plans for a new hotel on the first of three palm-shaped islands being built in the Persian Gulf.
Brad Pitt has signed on to help design a hotel of his own, while Giorgio Armani is outfitting apartments in the unfinished Burj Dubai, already the world’s tallest building. And last month, a Dubai investment company announced that fashion icon Karl Lagerfeld will design homes on a man-made “fashion island” off the city’s coast.
Plans for Woods’ course were first made public more than a year and a half ago. But as the project and a number of other high-profile developments near completion, fears are growing that Dubai’s soaring property market may be due for a correction.
Morgan Stanley recently predicted the city could face a supply glut by next year that could drive property values down by 10 percent. At the same time, the government is widening a probe into alleged corruption of a handful of prominent local companies, including some with ties to the real estate sector.
But Gurg said he wasn’t worried Dubai market concerns could make it difficult to fill the high-end houses around the golf course. After all, he said, it’s not everywhere homeowners can say their backyard has been designed by Woods himself.
“The Tiger Woods Dubai is catering toward a niche market,” Gurg said, adding that the developers were in no hurry but were “focused on quality” to attract potential residents to the 197 exclusive housings.
Filed Under (Sports) by animo on 24-08-2008
By BRIAN MAHONEY, AP Basketball Writer 10 minutes ago
BEIJING (AP)—Order is restored in international basketball. The United States is back on top, but not by that much anymore.
Culminating a three-year mission to end years of embarrassment, the U.S. Olympic team survived a huge challenge from Spain, winning 118-107 Sunday in the gold-medal game.
After overwhelming everyone for seven games, the Americans led by only four points with under 21/2 minutes to play. Then the U.S. proved it could handle a close game that seemed would never come in Beijing.
Their prize: the first U.S. gold medal since the 2000 Olympics.
Argentina won the bronze with an 87-75 victory against Lithuania.
Dwyane Wade scored 27 points for the Americans, who found a much gamer Spanish team than the one it humiliated by 37 points earlier in the tournament. Kobe Bryant added 20 points.
In a game so void of defense that it felt more like an NBA All-Star game than one with a title at stake, the Americans had too much offense down the stretch. Bryant converted a clutch four-point play with 3:10 remaining, holding his finger to his lips to quiet the rowdy Spanish crowd behind the basket.
Wade added another 3-pointer that made it 111-104 with just over 2 minutes left, and only then could the Americans relax a little.
They began to celebrate during a break after some technical fouls on Spain with 26 seconds left, then celebrated at midcourt when it was over with “Born in the USA” blaring over the arena’s speakers.
Nobody else had been close to the Americans in Beijing. This team’s only Olympic competition had been history, in a Dream matchup with guys named Jordan, Magic, Bird and the rest of the U.S. team that dominated the Barcelona Games in 1992.
Forget comparisons to those guys. The Americans were lucky to be better than Spain on Sunday.
Rudy Fernandez scored 22 points and Pau Gasol had 21 for the Spanish, the reigning world champions who were hoping to win their first Olympic gold.
U.S. players appreciated the game Spain gave them. After the contest they hugged the Spanish players. Bryant had an especially long embrace for Gasol, patting his Los Angeles Lakers teammate on the back.
Seeming to appreciate the moment, after congratulating Spain, the team joined in a circle, jumping up and down at center court and waving triumphantly to the crowd as coach Mike Krzyzewski applauded on the sidelines.
The Americans had won their first seven games by 30.3 points, including a 119-82 rout of Spain. But they never had control of this game, giving up open looks from the perimeter and plenty of points in the paint.
But Bryant, who waited so long to finally wear the red, white and blue, hit two 3-pointers in a big fourth quarter to add the gold medal to the only piece of hoops hardware he didn’t already own. The NBA MVP pounded his hands toward the floor in celebration at the end.
LeBron James scored 14 points, while Carmelo Anthony and Chris Paul had 13 apiece for the Americans, who had won bronze medals in their last two international events, the 2004 Olympics and ‘06 world championships.
The U.S. started planning for this game after that first event, the low point in its hoops history, following a sixth-place flop two years earlier in the world championships. Jerry Colangelo was given control of USA Basketball and constructed a national team program in 2006, requiring those who wanted to play to commit to three years.
He got Bryant and James quickly on board and landed almost everyone else he asked for, finding a group of NBA stars eager to give up their summer to get back what they felt belonged to their country.
And he needed all of them against a Spain team that on this day would have likely beaten any other recent U.S. squad.
Jason Kidd ran his record to 56-0 in senior international play and collected another gold to place alongside the one he earned in 2000, becoming the 13th U.S. player with multiple golds.
That elite list, which includes Michael Jordan and seven other Dream Teamers, could grow in 2012. Paul and Dwight Howard said they would be in London if asked, and perhaps half this team could join them.
James ran out for pregame warmups with his finger in the air, already believing the U.S. was No. 1. But even though the Americans were shooting better than 70 percent for most of the first half, it would take a long time to prove it.
James and Bryant were both on the bench after picking up two fouls in the first 31/2 minutes, and though Wade came in and picked up their scoring load, the U.S. reserves couldn’t open their usual cushion.
Spain hit seven of its first nine shots, leading for much of the first quarter. A quick burst of 10 points by James and Wade had the U.S. advantage up to 14 points with 4 minutes left in the half, but Spain chipped away and trailed only 69-61 at the break.
Spain was within four on a number of occasions in the third, and Fernandez’s 3-pointer cut it down to 91-89 with 8:13 remaining. Bryant answered with a bucket, later added a 3, and things seemed safe when James scored to make it 103-92.
Spain made one last push to close within 108-104 on Carlos Jimenez’s 3-pointer, but Wade hit one on the other end, and the final score became lopsided when the Americans hit a bunch of free throws after the Spanish became frustrated and were called for the technicals.
Filed Under (Sports) by animo on 24-08-2008
Openly gay diver wins gold
By Maggie Hendricks
 Diver Matthew Mitcham, the only openly gay male athlete in the Beijing Olympics, won gold in the 10m platform. He beat Chinese favorite Zhou Luxin by 4.8 points, preventing China from sweeping gold in diving events. Mitcham is the first Aussie to win diving gold since 1924, but that’s not the only thing that makes him a trailblazer.
He is hardly the first gay athlete to compete but he is one of the first to be out while competing. American diver Greg Louganis did not share his orientation until his diving career was over. To Mitcham, he is just living his life as a gay man and as a diver, and there is nothing extraordinary about that:
“Being gay and diving are completely separate parts of my life. Of course there’s going to be crossover because some people have issues, but everyone I dive with has been so supportive.”
Though he wants to be known as more than a gay man, the LGBT community is proud of their star. At OutSports, a sports Web site that focuses on the gay community, his win is front-page news. The Web site brings up a good question — will NBC mention Mitcham’s orientation during tonight’s broadcast?
To Mitcham, that doesn’t seem to matter. He has gold, and has reached his goals: “I’m happy with myself and where I am. I’m very happy with who I am and what I’ve done.”
UPDATE: NBC did not mention Mitcham’s orientation, nor did they show his family and partner who were in the stands. NBC has made athletes’ significant others a part of the coverage in the past, choosing to spotlight track athlete Sanya Richards‘ fiancee, a love triangle between French and Italian swimmers and Kerri Walsh’s wedding ring debacle.
Filed Under (Sports) by animo on 24-08-2008
Omega finally releases Phelps photo sequence
By ANDREW DAMPF, AP Sports Writer 14 hours, 15 minutes ago
BEIJING (AP)—It really was that close between Michael Phelps and Milorad Cavic.
Official timekeeper Omega released a digital photo sequence of last week’s riveting 100-meter butterfly finish at the Olympics—and it’s still not clear to the naked eye just who won.
 Phelps (left) and Cavic (right).
(AP Photo/Omega)
However, according to Omega timer Silvio Chianese, the results are clear.
“In the third set of images, with Phelps on the left, it is clear he is really pushing hard, while Cavic, on the right, is just arriving,” Chianese told The Associated Press on Saturday.
Last week’s victory gave Phelps his seventh gold medal of the games, tying him with Mark Spitz for most golds in a single Olympics. A day later, Phelps won his eighth gold as a member of the United States’ 400 medley relay squad.
Phelps’ time of 50.58 seconds was confirmed after a review down to the 10-thousandth of a second; Cavic’s time was 50.59.
 Phelps (left) and Cavic.
(AP Photo/Omega)
Chianese explained that it requires 3 kilograms (6.6 pounds) of pressure to activate the touchpad.
“Any less and waves would set it off,” Chianese said. “You can’t just put your fingertips on the pad, you really have to push it. We explained all this directly after the race to (Cavic) and his coach.”
The photos were taken by Omega cameras placed directly above the finish line, slightly angled to include two lanes in each photo.
Chianese said the touchpad is the primary source to determine the race winner, while the photos can only be used as backup material.
“We mainly use the photos for relays, to determine disqualifications if someone dives in before a teammate touches,” he said. “This is the only sport where athletes don’t cross the finish line. The athlete stops.
 Phelps (left) and Cavic.
(AP Photo/Omega)
“For us, it was clear five minutes after.”
Serbia coach Kapor Mladen filed an appeal but accepted the results after reviewing the photos immediately after the race.
FINA executive director Cornel Marculescu had been pressing Omega, one of Phelps’ sponsors, to release the images for several days.
“This is very simple. Our sport is about which athlete stops the time by pushing the touchpad,” he said. “Omega can’t stop the time.
“In our sport we don’t have photo finishes like in athletics. In our sport, it’s who touches first. Water is a different element.”
Filed Under (Sports) by animo on 24-08-2008
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