PACQUIAO SUBMITS APPLICATION FOR ROOKIE DRAFT
It’s official. World Boxing Organization welterweight champion Manny Pacquiao wants to be part of the rookie grab bag when the PBA holds its Rookie Draft on August 24 at Midtown Robinson’s Place Manila.
Pacquiao has declared his intention to the enter the pros when his application for the Draft was submitted by KIA’s Joe Ramos to PBA Operatoins chief Rickie Santos right after the Expansion Draft Friday afternoon.
Pending the submission of his birth certificate, Pacquiao should be part of the pool of rookie hopefuls on August 24.
“His documents are already in the PBA office,” said KIA team manager Eric Pineda.
Pacquiao, who has also been announced as the head coach for the expansion team KIA, is hoping to be the oldest rookie to be picked at the age of 35, and could possibly become one of the smallest at 5-foot-6.
PBA commissioner Chito Salud said that Pacquiao will still have to go through the traditional route for the league’s newcomers, which is through the Rookie Draft.
“We welcome the involvement of Cong. Manny Pacquiao with KIA as a coach when it was first announced, and again, we welcome the draft application of Cong. Manny Pacquiao for the 2014 Rookie Draft,” Salud said. “He has previously committed that he will go through the normal regular procedure to play in the PBA, that he will observe all the rules ought to apply to rookies. We wish him luck.”
Pineda said that the camp of Pacquiao and KIA know the risk of entering the league through the Draft, and he hopes that the 11 other teams would not select the boxing champ when their turns come in the Rookie Draft.
“I hope the other teams understand that Manny is already the coach of KIA, and hopefully, they would not pick him,” Pineda said.
Also raising some eyebrows is Pacquiao’s upcoming bout against Chris Algieri on November 22, but the amiable team manager said that the Fighting Congressman knows his priorities, and once he gets picked in the Draft, he will focus first on his Macau fight.
“He understood already the conditions, and he’s not taking any risks of getting injured,” Pineda said.
“Manny will be training for his boxing match, and a month before the fight, he’ll just be doing his job as coach. His play is the one he has to forego at the time. Important yung boxing match kasi laban ng bansa yun eh,” he added. (RL)
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