World Boxing Council (WBC) President Mauricio Sulaiman is set to arrive in the country on Wednesday to grace the first Pacquiao-Elorde Awards Night on Sunday, March 24 at the Okada Manila.
Boxing icon Manny Pacquiao said the WBC — one of the major four boxing professional bodies World Boxing Association (WBA), World Boxing Organization (WBO) and International Boxing Federation (IBF) — has a great history with past Filipino greats and Sulaiman’s presence will add prestige to the awards night.
“It’s really an honor that WBC President Mauricio Sulaiman will be joining us to be the guest speaker of the Pacquiao Elorde Awards Night this coming Sunday,” the 45-year-old Pacquiao said.
“He is a real good role model, and his leadership is really well respected in the whole boxing world.”
“I’m very happy to be associated with great Elorde in terms of recognizing and honoring our athletes.”
Gabriel “Flash” Elorde, the country’s legendary boxer, has been considered by the WBC as its greatest super featherweight champion following a brilliant career when he held the super featherweight championship for seven long years from 1960 to 1967.
MP Promotions President Sean Gibbons said the Philippines was one of the 11 founding countries of the WBC, when it was founded on February 14, 1963.
“It’s a grand return to history, as the Philippines was one of the founding nations of the WBC and during the late 1960s until the early 1970s, Filipinos were then its president and secretary-general too,” Gibbons, also an international matchmaker, said, referring to Justiniano Montano Jr. who was the WBC president, and the secretary-general was the late Rodrigo Salud, who crafted the byl aws of the governing body.
Sulaiman will also be in attendance when Paris Olympics bound Eumir Felix Marcial fights Saturday against Thai Thoedsak Sinam at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium.
“He [Sulaiman] will surely enjoy his stay here in Manila with Manny Pacquiao,” Gibbons added.
