As he retires, Manny Pacquiao calls for support for young Filipino boxers

Published September 29, 2021 01:27 PM By BEA MICALLER,GMA News

Manny Pacquiao has officially retired from boxing and as he passes the torch to the next generation of boxers, the Filipino icon called for support for the young talents.

The Philippines has a number of rising boxers

whom the country witnessed in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.

Nesthy Petecio and Carlo Paalam bagged silver medals in their respective weight divisions, while Eumir Marcial copped a bronze. Irish Magno

had an early exit but she made history as the first Filipina boxer to qualify for the Olympiad.

The boxers have already set their sights on joining next major tournaments like the Vietnam Southeast Asian Games, Asian Games, and the 2024 Paris Olympics, where they aim to get the first Olympic gold for Philippine boxing.

"We have a lot of young boxers who have the potential and hope of bringing honor to our country. It's time that we support them," Pacquiao said in Filipino in a 14-minute video announcement of his retirement on Wednesday.

Pacquiao said he never imagined that his retirement day would come but said he's ready to move on as he now vies for presidency in the May 2022 elections.

"As I hang up my boxing gloves, I would like to thank the world, especially the Filipino people for supporting Manny Pacquiao. Goodbye, boxing," said Pacquiao, who ended his career with a 62-8-2 win-loss-draw record.

"I will never forget what I have done and accomplished in my life. I just heard the final bell, I am done with boxing."

—MGP, GMA News

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