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sports Diahuebs 30 september 2021

Rags to riches: Boxing great Pacquiao announces retirement

(AP) — Boxing legend Pacquiao’s first fight in more man, People’s Champ and “I will never forget what I Wednesday. “I just heard
Manny Pacquiao is of- than two years. National Fist. have done and accomplished the final bell. The boxing is
ficially hanging up his in my life,” Pacquiao said over.“
gloves. “Thank you for changing my He left his impoverished
life. When my family was home in the southern Phil-
The eight-division world desperate, you gave us hope, ippines as a teenager and
champion and Philippine you gave me the chance to stowed away on a ship bound
senator on Wednesday an- fight my way out of poverty,” for Manila. He made his
nounced his retirement from Pacquiao said in the video. professional boxing debut as
the ring. “Because of you, I was able a junior flyweight in 1995
to inspire people all over the at the age of 16, fighting his
“I would like to thank the world. Because of you I have way out of abject poverty to
whole world, especially the been given the courage to become one of the world’s
Filipino people, for support- change more lives.” highest-paid athletes.
ing Manny Pacquiao. Good-
bye boxing,” the 42-year-old Pacquaio had hinted at re- Eddie Banaag, a 79-year-old
said in a video posted on his tirement recently. It had also retiree, said Pacquiao was his
Facebook page. “It is difficult been expected because he is idol as a boxer and he watched
for me to accept that my time setting his sights on a bigger almost all of his fights. But
as a boxer is over. Today I am political battlefield. Earlier he believes the boxing icon
announcing my retirement.” this month, he accepted his should have retired earlier.
political party’s nomination
Pacquiao finished his 26-year, and declared he will run for “He should have done that
72-fight career with 62 wins, Philippines president in elec- right after his victory over
eight losses and two draws. tions next May. (Keith) Thurman,” Banaag
Of those 62 wins, 39 were by said of Pacquiao’s win over
knockout and 23 by decision. He has accused the adminis- Thurman on July 20, 2019,
He won 12 world titles and tration of President Rodrigo in Las Vegas, Pacquiao’s sec-
is the only fighter in history Duterte, his former ally, of ond-to-last fight. “It would
to win titles in eight different making corruption worse in have been better if he ended
weight classes. the Philippines. He promised his boxing career with a win
to fight poverty and warned rather than a loss.”
His retirement from boxing corrupt politicians they will
followed a disheartening de- soon end up in jail. Still, Pacquiao believes he
feat to Yordenis Ugas in Para- will always be remembered
dise, Nevada, on Aug. 21. Pacquiao’s rags-to-riches life as a winner. Hundreds of
The younger Cuban boxer story and legendary career millions of dollars in career
beat Pacquiao by unanimous brought honor to his South- earnings and his record in the
decision, retaining his WBA east Asian nation, where he is ring leave no doubt.
welterweight title. It was known by the monikers Pac-

NCAA to start using ‘March Madness’ for women’s tournament

(AP) - The NCAA wom- was one of the recommenda- pared with the men’s. ball” on its court. sport, and the oversight com-
en’s basketball tourna- tions stemming from an ex- mittee looks forward to its
ment will start using ternal review of gender equi- It’s still unclear exactly how “Women’s basketball has work to address other recom-
“March Madness” in mar- ty issues of the tournaments. March Madness will be in- grown tremendously over mendations through the gov-
keting and branding be- The report released in Au- corporated into the women’s the past several years, and we ernance structure to continue
ginning this season. gust was sparked by outrage tournament, but putting the remain focused on our prior- those efforts.”
at the disparities between slogan on the court would be ity of enhancing and grow-
Using the phrase, which amenities such as the skimpy a possible starting place. The ing the game,” said Lynn Another potential change
has been associated with the weight room available for the tournament last season sim- Holzman, vice president of that could come down the
men’s tournament for years, women’s teams to use com- ply had “Women’s Basket- women’s basketball. “The road would be to expand the
brand recognition that March tournament field from 64
Madness carries will broaden teams to 68 teams to equal
marketing opportunities as the men’s bracket.
we continue that work to el-
evate the women’s basketball The NCAA also announced
championship.” Wednesday that the national
office will start from scratch
The Division I Women’s Bas- in determining budgeting
ketball Oversight Commit- expenses for the two tour-
tee unanimously supported nament staffs instead of ad-
adopting the phrase. justing the budgets from
the previous fiscal year. This
“This is just the start when move will help show where
it comes to improving gen- differences in the allocations
der equity in the way the two of resources occur in the two
Division I basketball cham- tournaments and potentially
pionships are conducted,” increase chances for cross-
said Lisa Campos, chair of promotion. It will also try to
the committee. “Adding the make the two championships
March Madness trademark to more financially equal.
the Division I Women’s Bas-
ketball Championship will This year’s women’s Final
enhance the development Four is in Minneapolis.
and public perception of the