Manny Pacquiao news reveals "Pacman's" enlistment for drafting for the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA), the said country's premiere professional basketball league.
In early June, the eight-division world champion announced that he would be taking the cudgels of being the playing coach of the league's new expansion team, Kia Motors.
In a report by Philippine sports website Solar Sports Desk, "Pacman's" decision to take on this new venture is mainly anchored on his love for the game of basketball.
"I'm very happy to be named head coach of Kia," he said in Filipino about the Manny Pacquiao news. "I really like basketball, even though I have many accomplishments in boxing, basketball is still in my heart."
The multi-titled boxer and former pound-for-pound king also expressed his confidence of handling another obligation, on top of his boxing career and his commitments as the congressman of Saranggani Province.
"Just time management and self-discipline," Pacquiao said. "I'll be able to handle that."
Manny Pacquiao news now reveals that the 35-year old fighter will also enlist himself in the PBA Draft, which will take place this coming August.
"The draft is just around the corner, and even I am included (on the list of draftees)," Pacquiao said in a report by GMA News.
Should he be drafted, Manny Pacquiao will be the oldest rookie to enter the PBA in its 39 years of existence.
While many Filipino fans are skeptic about "Pacman's" new venture into sports, Tim Cone, one of the PBA's top coaches who recently won a championship for his San Mig Coffee Mixers team, thinks that the boxing icon's entry can only do wonders for the league.
"You bring a guy, an iconic figure like Manny Pacquiao and bring him into the league, and I think people will realize just how good this league is," Cone told ABS-CBN News. "I mean, it will be an eye-opener for everybody, honestly, and I think it's neat."
As for Manny Pacquiao, keeping up with the game and players today won't be a problem, despite his age.
"That's nothing to me," he confidently said.
