Once again, Manny Pacquiao reign supreme in the boxing arena. No doubt Pacquiao is the best fighter in boxing, pound-for-pound. He is one of those rare performers who is able to challenge bigger opponents and still dominate. He defeated Ricky Hatton by 2nd-round techinical knock-out. Pacquaio's speed is undeniably awesome. Hatton was down twice in the 1st-round, and he fell again in the 2nd-round that gave the decision to Pacquiao. It was a good fight. Hatton is good, not great.

Pacquiao is an all-time great who is a sure-shot for the Hall of Fame. He probably is the greatest Asian fighter in boxing history. Congratulations Manny Pacquaio. You gave honor again to your beloved country.

Manny Pacquiao faces the toughest fight of his career in a hotly-anticipated clash with Britain's Ricky Hatton next week in Las Vegas.

"For me, this is not a regular fight," said the Filipino southpaw. "I consider this fight to be the toughest of my boxing career. After all he is undefeated at 140 pounds."

The former four-weight world champion challenges Hatton hfor his IBO light-welterweight title on May 2.

The Briton has never lost at his natural weight while Pacquiao, who declined to make any predictions about the fight, will be boxing in the division for the first time.

"I want to let my fists do the talking in the ring," 'Pac-Man' Pacquiao, ever respectful of his opponents, added in a teleconference call on Friday. "This is not an easy fight.

"Ricky Hatton is a different kind of fighter than I have been fighting before. He's a good fighter and a strong fighter. I expect him to be in 100 percent condition. He has a lot of energy and throws a lot of punches."

Widely regarded as the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world, Pacquiao said he and his team had been repeatedly watching video tapes of previous Hatton fights.

"He has a strong left hand, so we have studied that and prepared for that," the 30-year-old added.

But Pacquiao would not detail how he and trainer Freddie Roach planned to neutralise the Englishman's strengths.

HATTON'S STYLE

"We're ready for Ricky's style," he said. "We have been working on different techniques. I don't want to tell you what they are. I want to surprise you."

Pacquiao enhanced his impressive resume by outclassing 10 times world champion Oscar De La Hoya in December and promoter Bob Arum believes the Filipino now merits consideration as one of the greatest fighters ever.

"I personally have never seen such explosiveness combined with speed in all my years of boxing," said Arum, who has promoted boxing greats such as Marvin Hagler, Floyd Mayweather Jr and De La Hoya.

"I believe Manny's body of work establishes him as one of the best fighters in the history of boxing."

Idolised in the Philippines, Pacquiao has always strived to perform well for his fans.

"All I'm trying to do is give happiness and enjoyment to the people," he said.

Remarkably, his success in the ring has even led to temporary ceasefires in the 40-year guerrilla war being fought between Philippine troops and the Maoist-led New People's Army .

Steffani Cacho, Western Mindanao Command information officer, was quoted as saying in December: "If Manny fights, the guns will be silent."

On Friday, Pacquiao said in reply: "If that's a reason for them to be silent, I can fight every day."

Michael Phelps may have won a record eight gold medals during the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, but now he’s gaining notoriety for a less lofty achievement after a photo of the swimmer allegedly smoking marijuana from a bong was published in the United Kingdom’s News of the World, the New York Daily News reported.

Phelps said yesterday he was sorry for his actions, issuing a public apology.

“I engaged in behavior which was regrettable and demonstrated bad judgment,” Phelps said. “I’m 23 years old and despite the successes I’ve had in the pool, I acted in a youthful and inappropriate way, not in a manner people have come to expect from me.”

He continued by saying he was “sorry” and vowing to his fans that this was a one-time mistake. “I promise my fans and the public it will not happen again.”

The picture of the famous swimmer was shot during a Nov. 6 party at the University of South Carolina in Columbia, where he was visiting a co-ed.

Sources told the British paper that Phelps was asked if he wanted to smoke marijuana. He said yes and was then led to a back room.

“He looked just as natural with a bong in his hand as he does swimming in the pool,” one witness said. “He was the gold medalist of bong hits.”

Phelps’ rep, Clifford Bloxham, was caught off guard by the photo and reportedly attempted to keep the photo from being published, with offers of cash as well as a deal to have the swimmer write a column for the paper for three years.

Phelps is on track to earn approximately $100 million from endorsements and he’s already signed deals with Speedo, Visa, Frosted Flakes cereal and the video game Guitar Hero.

Freddie Roach didn’t waste his time laying out his plan for the Manny Pacquiao-Ricky Hatton fight on May 2 in Las Vegas.

“Knockout,” he told The STAR which caught today’s hottest trainer by phone yesterday noon (Friday evening in Los Angeles).

Roach said that like everybody else, he felt great that the fight, after all the negotiations and some useless debates, is pushing through.

“It’s great. Of course,” Roach said as he walked back to his apartment after closing the doors to his Wild Card Gym in Hollywood.

It’s time to do the homework.

“We’ll open up training camp on March 1. We’ll get ready, be in shape and take care of this guy,” said Roach.

And probably fight Antonio Margarito later on.

Roach still hasn’t talked to Pacquiao despite persistent attempts on his part. Over the last two weeks he’s been trying.

“Manny hasn’t talked to me yet. I wanted him to know I’m on his side, not like some crooks,” he said without elaborating.

The Pacquiao-Hatton fight, which could be the biggest this year, almost didn’t push through due to disputes on the purse.

Now there’s a deal, and Pacquiao stands to earn as much as $20 million or close to a billion pesos. Hatton will get just a little less.

“Manny had a problem with one thing in the deal but we worked it out,” Bob Arum told ESPN.com. “I massaged something in the deal, which I’m not going to tell you about, but it didn’t cost me anything. We got it done.”

Insiders say that “massage” was worth at least $1 million, giving Pacquiao a guaranteed purse of $13 million and a 52-48 share of everything else.

Roach said the impasse was all part of the game.

“You negotiate first and that’s how it is. It only becomes a deal when everybody is happy,” said Roach.

Pacquiao has won his last nine fights, including great ones against Oscar dela Hoya, David Diaz, Juan Manuel Marquez, Marco Antonio Barrera and Erik Morales.

“And Hatton is the best fight for him right now,” said Roach, who sees Pacquiao catching Hatton in the later rounds..

“Nine is my favorite number,” he said, hinting of a stoppage inside nine rounds.

“Hatton is made for Manny. He’s a tough guy who comes forward. He’s a game guy looking to mug you. That’s the perfect style for Manny,” Roach told The Sweet Science.

“You don’t have to chase Hatton. You don’t have to look for Ricky. You know where he’s going to be. He’s right there in front of you, which is what Manny likes. He likes a guy who wants to try and make it a fight.’’

As the residue of the blockbuster Dream Match slowly fades away, Freddie Roach is ready to make peace with the rival camp.

After everything that’s been said and done, all the trash-talking and finger-pointing, Manny Pacquiao’s trainer said it’s about time to put them all behind.

In the weeks leading to the “Dream Match” between Pacquiao and Oscar dela Hoya, Roach engaged the opposite camp in a running word war.

He said he regrets saying some things.

It all started when he said Dela Hoya, at 35, “can’t pull the trigger anymore” and that he had no doubt in his mind that the Golden Boy would be knocked out.

He also had some harsh words for Dela Hoya’s trainer, Nacho Beristain.

“Maybe I shouldn’t have said some things I said and hopefully he’ll forgive me and I’ll forgive him,” said Roach referring to Dela Hoya whom he once trained.

“I hope it will be okay. I have four fighters fighting for him (under Golden Boy Promotions) so I still have to work with the guy,” said Roach, normally soft-spoken.

“Who knows... we can be friends after this.”

Roach said that since Pacquiao is no trash-talker, he had to take the cudgels, adding that he was willing to do anything or everything “just to throw Oscar off.”

Then Dela Hoya countered by blaming Roach for his loss to Floyd Mayweather Jr. by saying the two-time Trainer of the Year brought in the wrong game plan.

“I like Oscar. He’s a great guy. He treated me well in camp, and when he blamed me for the Mayweather loss and something like maybe he’s just trying to get back because I said he can’t pull the trigger,” said Roach.

Thousands braved the rain to catch a glimpse of and cheer boxing hero Manny Pacquiao in a victory motorcade with a convoy of over 50 vehicles that brought traffic to a crawl in Quezon City, Manila, Makati and Pasay City yesterday.

Pacquiao, who cemented his status as the world’s best pound-for-pound fighter in his masterful eight-round conquest of Oscar de la Hoya in their Dream Match in Las Vegas Sunday, drew waves of screaming adulation from people lining the streets along the route of the caravan.

The Filipino ring idol, in a white shirt, was atop a mini-truck carrying 19 other people including Environment and Natural Resources Secretary Lito Atienza.

The motorcade started at a little past 10 a.m. from the DENR office in Quezon City where Pacquiao had breakfast after paying Quezon City Mayor Feliciano Belmonte Jr. a visit at nearby City Hall.

Pacquiao was mobbed by officials and employees of City Hall and DENR.

In the motorcade, Pacquiao gamely acknowledged the cheers of his fans, opting not to take shelter even as members of the convoy began taking out umbrellas to shield themselves from the rain.

A radio report said that in some schools where Pacquiao’s convoy passed, students stormed out of their classrooms, unfurling banners to greet him.

Atienza, who organized the event, said the atmosphere was a lot more festive than the previous Pacquiao motorcades.

The fighter was feted with a sumptuous breakfast of fried rice, beef tapa, adobo, scrambled eggs, danggit (dried fish) and fruits by Atienza.

Afterwards, Pacquiao announced a donation of P100,000 to efforts to save the Philippine eagle while also reiterating his support to save the environment.

“There is no other bird like the Philippine eagle in the world. So we must do our best to take care of it and the environment and make sure they flourish,” said Pacquiao in Filipino.

Atienza said it was Pacquiao’s fourth donation to the effort to save the endangered bird of prey.

“Manny is our perfect defender of the environment because he is the number one natural resource that we have,” Atienza said.

Meantime, Pacquiao said he is also open to brokering peace in Mindanao, which has been battered by a protracted “war” that has killed scores and displaced millions of people.

Pacquiao, who has managed to unite the entire nation every time he goes into the ring, said he would always support any effort to achieve peace not only in Mindanao, but in the whole country.

Pacquiao was reacting to a proposal of a group advocating lasting peace in Mindanao to include him in the peace negotiations between the Government of the Republic of the Philippines (GRP) and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF).

The People’s Coalition for Peace believes Pacquiao, who hails from General Santos City, should now move to “a new level” outside the ring – as broker for peace to end the long-standing armed conflict in Mindanao.

“I have no problem with that. I am open to help and give my support to the achievement of peace for our country,” said Pacquiao.

He then appealed to both the military and MILF to keep their cool and focus on finding a peaceful solution to the problem.

Fighting in the southern part of the Philippines has resumed since the collapse of the latest round of peace talks, specifically due to the failure of a draft deal on ancestral domain between the GRP and MILF peace panels four months ago.

Fresh from his conquest of "Golden Boy" Oscar de la Hoya, Filipino boxing champ Emmanuel "Manny" Pacquiao will take a break before returning to the Philippines this Wednesday.

On his way back to Los Angeles from Las Vegas, Pacquiao said Monday morning he is due to arrive in Manila aboard a Philippine Airlines flight at 5 a.m. Wednesday.

"Bakasyon muna, darating ako riyan Wednesday (I'll have my vacation first, then I'll arrive there before dawn on Wednesday)," Pacquiao said in an interview on dzBB radio.

He said he plans to go to his home in General Santos City to celebrate his 30th birthday December 17.

He then thanked anew God and the Filipino people for his victory, to whom he dedicated his latest ring conquest.

"Nagpapasalamat ako taospuso sa mahal na Panginoon at nagpapasalamat ako sa buong sambayanang Pilipino sa pagdarasal nila. Narinig ang dasal natin. Ito ang karanagalang natamo ko di lang sa atin kundi para sa ating mga Pilipino, para sa ating bansa kahit saang sulok ng mundo lahat ho tayo mga Pilipino (I thank God and the Filipino people's prayers for this victory. Our prayers were answered. I dedicate this victory to God and the Filipino people)," he said.

On the other hand, Pacquiao declined to comment on his next opponent, saying it is too early to tell at this time.

"Masyado pang maaga, malayo pa naman (It's too early to tell, it's a long time before my next bout)," he said.

Pacquiao recalled thinking he had the fight in the bag as early as after the second round, when he controlled the tempo of the bout.

He said his coach Freddie Roach told him before the ninth round to "knock him out, finish him."

After the bout, Pacquiao recalled telling De La Hoya, "this is just work, nothing personal," to which De La Hoya replied, "you're the best, you're a great fighter, keep up the good work."

Pacquiao then told De La Hoya, "even if I beat you you're still my idol," but dela Hoya told him, "no, now you're my idol."

IBO lightwelterweight champion Ricky Hatton of Manchester is lining up for an appointment with Manny Pacquiao.

Shortly after Pacquiao demolished Oscar de la Hoya here Saturday night (yesterday morning, Manila), Hatton said now that the Golden Boy is out of the way, he’s the next big ticket seller in boxing.

“Manny did an outstanding job against Oscar,” said Hatton. “It’s obvious I’m next in line. I think it’ll be a great fight. Manny has a great following among the Filipino people and I have a great following with the English people. If we get it on, imagine the people of both our countries going crazy.”

Hatton said fighting Pacquiao would be “an honor,” considering the Filipino icon is the world’s No. 1 fighter, pound for pound. But he mentioned a possible problem in the negotiations is the weight limit.

Hatton, 30, fights in the 140-pound division. Pacquiao, 29, tipped the scales at 142 for De la Hoya and showed up in the ring weighing 147 1/2, a fraction over the welterweight limit.

Pacquiao’s lawyer Franklin (Jeng) Gacal confirmed that he has spoken with Hatton’s lawyer about the possibility of a showdown, perhaps at the Wembley Stadium in London where over 100,000 fans could jam the open-air football field.

Gacal said from what he knows, Hatton is under a two-fight contract with Golden Boy. Pacquiao, on the other hand, has a promotional contract with Top Rank until 2010, stipulating at least two fights a year.

Hatton was a TV commentator on the British broadcast panel that covered the Pacquiao-De la Hoya fight. He was introduced as a Golden Boy fighter during the weigh-in last Friday.

Pacquiao’s trainer Buboy Fernandez, who joined the fighter and Freddie Roach on stage for the weigh-in rites, said he overheard Hatton wishing the Filipino good luck.

“Hatton came up to Manny and told him, good luck in your fight (against De la Hoya) and see you in England,” said Fernandez, inferring the Hitman gave notice of his availability.

Hatton has won two in a row since losing to Floyd Mayweather on a 10th round stoppage last year. Last month, he halted Paul Malignaggi to raise his record to 45-1, with 32 KOs.

“Hatton is perfect for Manny,” said Fernandez. “He’ll come straight at Manny. He’ll be an easy target. It will be a war because you’ll find both fighters engaging right at the first bell.”

Hatton is an inch taller than Pacquiao but has a two-inch reach disadvantage.

Before the Pacquiao-De la Hoya fight, Hatton was seen conversing with Marco Antonio Barrera who said he wants nothing to do with the Filipino anymore after suffering two losses to the Pacman.

“I’ll continue to fight,” said Barrera. “But Manny’s too big for me now. I can’t fight at his weight category. The same with Erik Morales who’s now training for a comeback at junior welterweight. “

Barrera weighed 137 1/2 for his most recent fight, a fourth round knockout over Sammy Ventura in China last month.

Oscar "Golden Boy" De La Hoya stopped his "Dream Match" with Manny "Pacman" Pacquiao at the end of the eighth round of their scheduled 12-round fight.

Pacquiao scored a one-sided TKO over De La Hoya.

A crowd, estimated at 16,000 or less, filled the venue at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Pacquiao won his last eight fights, including two knockout victories over Erik Morales, and one each against fierce rivals Marco Antonio Barrera and Juan Manuel Marquez. De La Hoya has only fought four times over the last four years, losing twice.

During the weigh-in (Pacquiao at an unbelievable 142 pounds since Freddie Roach had wanted him to weigh in at 145, and De la Hoya at 145 pounds), they faced each other after tipping the scales, but no pushing and shoving.

The odds to this fight had gone up and down over the last five days in Vegas. For Pacquiao they’d gone from plus 155 to plus 140, then plus 135 to plus 125, and plus 165 Friday morning to plus 160 the evening before the fight.

It meant that a $100 bet on Pacquiao (47-3-2 with 35 KOs) won $160. The latest odds on De La Hoya (39-5-0 with 30 KOs) showed that a bet of $190 only won $100.

Both fighters went for the knockout.

Pacquiao's coach Roach had predicted a ninth-round stoppage by Pacquiao, and De La Hoya countered by saying he’d knock Pacquiao out inside five rounds.

Pacquiao is the first Filipino and Asian boxer to win four world titles in different weight divisions.

De La Hoya has won ten world titles in six different weight classes.

Pacquiao is considered the greatest boxer in the planet today – pound for pound.

“This is the Super Bowl of boxing. Manny Pacquiao is going to blow you away,” said the Top Rank big boss against the cold Vegas weather.

Just minutes later Pacquiao stepped out of his customized bus, in a navy blue suit, light blue shirt and a nice tie. He was practically mobbed, but smiled all the way facing the cameras and microphones hanging over his head.

Pacquiao fielded a few questions, mostly old ones, and in a matter of minutes was whisked by a tight cordon of friends up into his 61st floor suite of the majestic Mandalay Hotel that glows at night.

The Las Vegas Sun wrote: “Luckily none of the youngsters (who ran smack into the pack of cameramen) got trampled in the media zoo that ensued as Manny Pacquiao stepped off his self-depicting tour bus at Mandalay Bay.”

Pacquiao’s trainer, Freddie Roach, said it was understandable, the way his ward attracts the attention.

“He’s a star in his country. He’s an actor, he’s a singer. He loves the press, this isn’t a big deal for him,” he was quoted as saying.

Dela Hoya had his own version of a homecoming more than an hour later, but in a more orderly fashion, a roped entrance to the MGM Grand lobby the moment he stepped out of his gray luxury car.

Dela Hoya, in a white shirt, dress jeans and pointed shoes, inched his way into a makeshift ring, and looked every inch the 147-pounder that’s going up against a fighter going up two weight classes.

“Every fight is special. It’s the event and not the opponent that makes it special. But I have respect for Manny Pacquiao,” he said in a very brief TV interview.

Told that he looked so slender, and not at all drained, boxing’s Golden Boy said, “it must be the (short) haircut.”

Earlier in the day, both fighters staying in different hotels almost bumped into each other at the UNLV track oval where they did their morning exercise.

“They both knew they were both there, but they never really came close to each other,” said Dyan Castillejo, the ABS-CBN sports anchor.

Later in the afternoon, Pacquiao worked out at the IBA Gym some 15 minutes away from his hotel, and had to leave on time, right on the dot, as Dela Hoya was about to come in.

The two fighters will finally come face-to-face Wednesday during the event’s final press conference at the Hollywood Theater of the MGM Grand at noon.

Dagger looks, at least between the two superstars, will not be on the menu.

Manny Pacquiao is much too fast for Oscar dela Hoya that boxing’s Golden Boy will get tired trying to catch him.

“Like what I said, Oscar’s going to tire after six rounds,” said Marvin “Much Too Much” Cordova, one of Pacquaio’s sparring partners.

The 5-foot-9 Cordova, 156 pounds and undefeated in 20 fights with 11 knockouts, sparred four rounds with Pacquiao at the Wild Card Gym Thursday.

Then as he cooled off after banging bodies with the Pinoy megastar, he talked about Pacquiao’s chances against Dela Hoya.

He said Pacquiao has what it takes to win.

“He’s ready. Oscar has got to be ready because Manny’s coming after him baby,” he said the resident of Rocky Ford, Colorado.

“His speed is going to give Oscar a lot of problems. He’s coming up (in weight) and Oscar is losing the weight,” Cordova said.

He believes that Pacquiao will bring the fight to Dela Hoya in the first six rounds, and when the latter tires, the former will go for it.

His punching power is impressive and his left hand, body shots are looking real strong.

“Once he gets Oscar with those punches it’ll be real good. Will it last the distance? Nah. Like what I said Oscar will tire after six rounds.

“Then Manny will put it on him in the eighth and ninth round and knock him off. Oscar’s got the jab but Manny will counter him with his right hook.”

Cordova thinks that Dela Hoya is a one-handed fighter who has to worry about Pacquiao’s left and right all throughout the match.

“Manny’s an animal on ring,” he concluded.

Rashad Holloway, the other sparring partner, is confident of a Pacquiao victory but said Dela Hoya being knocked out is not that easy.

“Can he hurt Oscar? Definitely, but to knock Oscar out is kind of hard. Oscar’s a veteran and been hit by big guys and is pretty tough,” he said.

“I think Manny can hurt Oscar and if he sticks to the game plan and stays on three minutes of every round then we may see a stoppage.

“But honestly I think he can beat the mess out of Oscar for 12 rounds as long as he sticks to the game plan,” he said.

Holloway, standing close to six feet, has been with Pacquiao since Day One of this camp, and was quite surprised with everything he’d seen.

“Have you looked at his legs?” he asked, referring to Pacquiao’s pair of calves that can carry a 300-pounder.

“He’s got some big, strong legs and that’s where he generates his power. He’s very explosive. I kind of underestimated him in the beginning,” he said.

By: Abac Cordero

Platinum Fighting Productions, Asia’s leading promoter of mixed martial arts events that has over 30 years experience in the production business, has announced the final card for its “Ring of Fire” show on Sunday, December 9, 2007 at Araneta Stadium in Manila, Philippines. Two teams of world-class fighters are coached by Gokor Chivichyan and former UFC heavyweight champion Josh Barnett.

International Fight League commissioner Kurt Otto acknowledged Shamrock’s involvement and confirmed that he is still a coach for IFL as well..

Each team will battle in four events to be held in the Philippines, Macau, Japan and China; with the best two teams progressing to the Final Ring of Fire event slated for December 2008…

Platinum Fighting Productions has named the event Ring of Fire and announced that the coaches will be Royce Gracie, Ken Shamrock, Josh Barnett and Gokor Chivichyan. The Dec. 9 event features Team Barnett versus Team Gokor:

• Koji Oshi (Barnett) vs. Karen Darabdeyan (Gokor)
• Yuki Kondo (Barnett) vs. August Wallen (Gokor)
• Renato “Babalu” Sobral (Barnett) vs. Rodney Faverus (Gokor)
• Jeff Monson (Barnett) vs. Hakim Gouram (Gokor)
• Ginele Marquez (Barnett) vs. Amanda Buckner (Gokor)

Ultimate Fighting Championship veteran Zach Light will also participate in a separate bout on the Dec. 9 event and will reportedly be coached by UFC light heavyweight champion Quinton Jackson.

International Fight League fans can look forward to hot matches. Tickets to the event are available at all outlets located at the SM department store customer service area and at Araneta Coliseum Tickets Booths.

A sport consists of a physical and mentally competitive activity carried out with a recreational purpose for competition, for self-enjoyment, to attain excellence, for the development of a skill, or some combination of these. A sport has physical activity, side-by-side competition, self-motivation and a scoring system. The difference of purpose is what characterizes sport, combined with the notion of individual (or team) skill or prowess. Badminton is one of the sports people are addicted to nowadays.

Just recently I am into sports - badminton. It was then when my officemates invited me to play with them. At first I was so hesitant to join since I am not into sports. I'd rather choose outdoor activities like hiking, mountain climbing, fishing, and traveling. And besides, I don’t have the equipment for it, but they promised to provide it all for me. So when I got home, I opened the 80 year old, antique, creepy drawers with molds and cobwebs, winks. In it are my sports attire includes my jogging pants, shirts, shoes, headbands, and some weird stuffs, he he. It was hidden there since I stopped getting into sports when I started to work. Before, I love volleyball, cycling, soccer but not a pro just for fun and for sweat drippings. It has been years since I forgotten sports. So at that time, I was so excited. I fitted those sporting apparel of mine that age like my old-loose gartered underwear, ha ha. I let my mother washed what I chose. Then I slept, since I work at night from 10pm - 6am and the activity will be at 5pm. I woke up early at around 1:30pm, gees! Maybe because I am so excited. Then, I am ready. I looked around and go back and forth at the mirror; I looked fine (kind of conceited!). It was my first time to wear shorts and go outside home since I do have chicken legs, please don’t laugh, grrrr! I didn’t wear my jogging pants since its color faded away, not appreciative to look at and add the smell of the mothballs, yikes! My family was stunned especially my father about how I looked like. His son is into sports now and not a geek anymore. Is this the start of a new beginning? How soon is now? Anyway, I leave home with a smile, confidence, and excitement. But gawd! When I arrived at the city proper (since I live very far from the city), traffic was everywhere; it makes my fresh aura into a flower just visited by a bee - dull and gawky. I heard a lot of text messages from my cell phone, "Where are you Mr. Wayne?”, "Are you coming or not?", "We're having fun here now", "If you will not come, expect a total silent treatment from us", huhuhuhu. And that makes me pressured. So what I did I go out from the traffic and walk some miles (just kidding!). In a near distance, where traffic is not acknowledged and registered, winks, I took a taxi even though I don’t have much money. Hey, what the hell, I'm excited, right?

At last, I arrived at the Shuttle Square - it is a big sports complex with lots of court for badminton. It was my first time to get there. Without the taxi driver's mastery of the place, I can't go there by myself. The driver's name is Brad, huh! Brad Pitt? ha ha... What's worst about there is that I don’t know where to get inside...another huhuhu. I went to this corner with lots of people but knowing there not in their sports attire so this is not the entrance, oh my gawd! But I asked one person there; of course I chose the cutest among the rest, bleeeh! And knowing the place I was in is a complex for cock fighting, damn! Do I look like a rooster? hmmmm... And I was piss, lol. People stared at me, gosh, what kind of place is this. Then they told me where to get inside in the sports complex for badminton. Another worst thing, it wasn’t a clear instruction... well never mind telling you what I did, hehehe...ok, ok, ok, I just knocked to this big gate of the complex where no one answered me, damn! ha ha. I looked so stupid. When a woman approached me and asked me what I am doing (I am so embarrassed, I swear), then I rapidly told her everything, madam blah blah blah and there goes some lump in my throat, winks. Then she directed me the right entrance. So I went there and this is it because I saw my officemate very sweaty and a smile as wide as a bridge. When I got there, everything of those worst moments vanished into my mind. I hurriedly borrowed a racket and play badminton without having a warm-up or stretching. So that's another story of what happened next - the cramps, stiff neck, and muscle pain all over my body.

So that’s my first badminton experience for 25 years of my life. Well, thanks to my officemates who forced me to join. I love it so much and decided to do it every Saturday afternoon before my duty with them also of course since we don’t do it for competition but for fun and physical fitness. Well, they are same like me, geek too and beginners, winks but I’m the worst of all, ha ha. "Birds of the same feathers are the same birds", hehehe. And thanks also to Mr. Taxi driver who’s name is Brad and the woman who I didn’t get her name, let's say she's Angelina.