By REYNALD MAGALLON
Filipino boxing legend Manny Pacquiao topped ESPN’s Top 25 Asian athletes of the 21st century while the country’s first-ever Olympic gold medalist Hidilyn Diaz and PBA’s only seven-time Most Valuable Player also made the list.
ESPN cited Pacquiao’s achievements and accolades as reasons for being ranked first in a list that also featured China’s Yao Ming for basketball, Japan’s Ichiro Suzuki for baseball, Naomi Osaka for tennis, and Korea’s Son Heung-Min for football
“Plain and simple, ‘PacMan’ is arguably one of the greatest boxers of all time. He won world titles in an unprecedented eight weight divisions, showcasing his versatility and dominance,” ESPN wrote.
To this day, Pacquiao was the only boxer that became a champion in eight different weight divisions. He was hailed as the World Boxing Council Boxer of the Decade and World Boxing Organization Best Pound-for-Pound Fighter of the Decade from 2001 to 2010.
He held titles in the 2000s, 2010s and 2020s.
Meanwhile, Diaz landed at the 19th spot as Fajardo cracked the list at the 25th.
Diaz became the first Filipino to win an Olympic gold medal and currently holds the Olympic record in the women’s 55kg clean and jerk and total lift. She had 127kg in clean and jerk and 224 total lift during her gold medal quest.
On top of that, she was a one-time world champion, one-time Asian champion and once a gold medalist in Asian Games and twice in the Southeast Asian Games.
“Diaz’s dedication and resilience are evident in her journey, overcoming numerous challenges to reach the pinnacle of her sport,” ESPN wrote.
“Diaz’s historic achievement and her role in elevating weightlifting in the Philippines are testaments to her exceptional talent and determination,” it added.
Fajardo, on the other hand, was cited for his dominance in the PBA, Asia’s first play-for-pay league. The San Miguel Beer center is a 10-time PBA champion and only seven-time Most Valuable player. He was also a silver medalist in the 2013 FIBA Asia Championships and once a gold medalist in the Asian Games.
“Fajardo’s consistent excellence and influence on Philippine basketball underscore his significant impact on the sport that Filipinos love,” ESPN wrote about Fajardo
