Pacquiao, President Obama Meet: Talk Boxing, Basketball

By Michael Marley

Manny Pacquiao and his lovely wife, Jinkee, could be described as knocked out by their meeting with President Barack Obama Tuesday afternoon.

"Only Manny and Jinkee were invited inside," the 32-year-old Pacquiao's agent, Michael Koncz, told me. "Manny was thrilled that President Obama took time away from his busy schedule, with all the important world and national events and issues he's facing, to talk to him."

Koncz estimated the total time of the meet and greet which took place in the Oval Office "at about 15 minutes" Koncz said that First Lady Michelle Obama was not present.

"You could see the excitement in Manny's face when he came out of there," Koncz said.

The presidential meeting was set up by Nevada Sen. Harry Reid, who earlier in the day praised the Fighting Congressman from Sarangani on the floor of the Senate and then held a brief news conference with the boxer who campaigned for him in November when Reid held off Tea Party challenger Sharron Angle to retain his powerful position.

What did President Obama and Pacman talk about?



"Well," Koncz said, "they talked mainly about basketball and boxing. The president said he would watch the (Sugar Shane) Mosley fight on pay-per-view TV and said he will be be cheering for Manny.

"Manny was just very excited by the whole situation. I'd say that Jinkee was more nervous. Jinkee was just overwhelmed by all this."

Koncz said the Pacquiao traveling party, including lifelong liberal Democrat and one-time Robert F. Kennedy assistant US attorney turned fight promoter Bob Arum, was heading out for dinner in the nation's capital.

Pacman is heading for Los Angeles before jetting back home to Manila while Arum will return to Las Vegas where he lives and will present a fight card featuring Pinoy star Nonito Donaire against Fernando Montiel of Mexico Saturday night at Mandalay Bay, which will be televised on HBO.
(boxingscene.com)