Filipino boxing icon Manny Pacquiao said he was impressed by the facilities that Qatar offers.
Following his announcement that his next fight could be against British boxer Amir Khan and may take place in Doha early next year, Pacquiao, who was in Doha for the AIBA World Boxing Championships, spoke to SC.qa.
After his last fight against Floyd Mayweather in Las Vegas grossed over $500mn (QR1.8bn), the 36-year-old icon is considering Doha for his last fight, ahead of other sporting centres such as New York, Las Vegas and London.
Having clearly noticed Qatar’s hospitality, Pacquiao told the organisation responsible for delivering the 2022 FIFA World Cup Qatar: “I have been very impressed by the reception I received in Doha. This is my first time visiting the country but its people are very kind, very welcoming. I feel very comfortable here.
“But it is also very exciting,” he continued, highlighting Doha’s rapid development into a sports capital of the world. “It is growing very fast, the facilities here are impressive and I think it would be a great place to fight next.”
Having grown up in the Philippines, a country not known for the quality of the boxers it produced until his arrival, Pacquiao is familiar with doubters and critics. “I was an underdog growing up in the Philippines and people criticised me and said I couldn’t box,” he says. “But it is always like this. I proved my critics wrong by becoming the best. You must be strong and believe in yourself. Only then will you succeed.”
With the important contribution the Filipino community makes to the country’s development and its preparations for the 2022 FIFA World Qatar, the boxer who was elected to the House of Representatives for the island of Sarangani and is now running for the Senate had a special message for his compatriots: “I want to tell them to work hard and focus on why they are here. It may seem difficult but they are doing a great thing for them and their families, and it will be worth the effort at the end. If you focus and work hard, you will be blessed.”
With one of the greatest fighters in boxing history potentially on his way to Doha, bringing the eyes of the world with him, Qatar continues to build a name as a sporting capital of the world.
“I think it is an amazing place,” added his potential rival for the big fight, British boxer Amir Khan. “I have been to arenas across the world and this has to be among one of my favourites ones. This is the first time I come to Doha. The hospitality has been amazing. Everywhere I have been, people have been very generous and nice to me. And I am glad that I did come to the World Championships, because it is great to see the next big talent in boxing. And then this is a very peaceful place, I look forward to coming back here again and bringing my family here too.” (SC.qa)