Philippines rejoices over new victory of boxing icon Pacquiao

Nov 15, 2009, 9:01 GMT

   Manila - The Philippines Sunday cheered another victory by Filipino boxing icon Manny Pacquiao, who stopped Puerto Rican Miguel Cotto in a 12-round fight in Las Vegas late Saturday.

   With the win, Pacquiao claimed his seventh world title in as many weight divisions - the first boxer to claim such a feat.

   Millions of Filipinos were glued to their television sets to watch the delayed telecast of the fight, while thousands watched it live in cinemas, bars and restaurants.

   Others followed the fight on live blogs online.

   'Once again, Filipino grit and determination triumphed over great odds,' President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo said in a statement.

   Pacquiao knocked down Cotto twice in the third and fourth rounds, before finishing the fight in the 12th round when the referee stopped the match.

   'I tried my best to knock him out,' Pacquiao said after the fight. 'I though in the 11th round they would stop the fight, I am surprised he continued to fight.'

   Cotto praised Pacquiao, saying, 'I fought everybody and Manny is one of the best all time. He jabs and throws. I didn't know from where the punches were coming.'

   Arroyo, who was attending the Asia-Pacific Economic Conference forum in Singapore, was not able to watch the fight but she joined Filipinos in rejoicing.

   'May this serve as an inspiration to the entire Filipino nation, especially the youth that there is no limit to our capacity for success for as long as we work hard,' she said in a statement.

   'I hope we all learn from this example so together we will move forward as a nation,' she added.