LOS ANGELES – Coming off his devastating TKO performance against Miguel Cotto and second round knockout of Ricky Hatton earlier this year, Manny Pacquiao is a shoe in for boxer of the year again.
He won the illustrious award last year after winning a decision against Juan Manuel Marquez, knocking out David Diaz, and ending Oscar De La Hoya’s career.
But this year, boxing writers won’t be the only ones singing Pacquiao’s praises.
The lean mean Filipino fighting machine might be this year’s world athlete of the year.
The pound-4-pound king Pacquiao is among the 12 male and 12 female athletes nominated and vying for World Athlete of the Year presented by the United States Sports Academy, NBCSports.com and USATODAY.com.
Pacquiao is facing off against other sport luminaries including Tiger Woods, Roger Federer, Kobe Bryant, Lebron James, and Usain Bolt, among others. Among the women competing for the title include track and field star Yelena Isinbaeva, WNBA MVP Diana Taurasi, and Chrissie Wellington, a triathlon.
Last year’s winners were 2008 Olympic stars Michael Phelps and Nastia Liukin.
Fans will be able to select who they think is the world athlete of the year by visiting the USSA website http://www.ussa.edu/ballots/athlete-of-the-year.
Balloting began on December 1 and will run through December 24.
According to the USSA, the Athlete of the Year ballot is the culmination of the Academy’s yearlong Athlete of the Month program, which recognizes the accomplishments of men and women in sports around the globe. An international voting committee comprised of members of the media, sports organizations and governing bodies selects the Academy Athlete of the Month. (Joseph Pimentel / AJPress)
( Published December 9, 2009 in Asian Journal Los Angeles p. A1 )
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