Eight-division champion Manny Pacquiao will be going from the boxing ring to the basketball court sidelines later this year after he was officially announced as the head coach of the expansion team KIA Motors in the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA), the first pro basketball league in Asia.
Just this past week, KIA Motors held a press conference announcing the appointment of Pacquiao as head coach of its basketball team. It remains to be seen how Pacquiao will be able to juggle his duties as a pro boxer, congressman, and now, pro basketball head coach. When asked about this, Pacquiao said it would take time management on his part to attend to his numerous responsibilities.
One thing he's sure about his role is that he'll focus on his players' training, vowing that they'll train like him.
As quoted by the Philippine Daily Inquirer, Pacquiao said: "My players should brace themselves. I'll turn them into great players with the training they'll get."
Pacquiao said he's happy to return to his first love, basketball, which he learned to play first before getting into boxing. His coaching skills will be put to the test when the league opens shop on October 19. His next fight, against a still undetermined opponent, will be on November 23 in Macau.
The PBA is Asia's oldest play-for-pay basketball league. Teams are bankrolled by the top corporations in the Philippines, and KIA's entry into the league is part of its distributor's efforts to further promote its vehicles in the basketball-crazy country.
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