Pacquiao retires from boxing to chase Philippine presidential bid

Gulf Today Report

Philippine boxing legend Manny Pacquiao, who is planning to run for president in the 2022 Philippine elections, said on Wednesday that he is hanging up his gloves after a glittering decades-long career in the ring.

Pacquiao, a Philippine senator who has been dividing his time between politics and fighting, made the announcement in a 14-minute video posted on his official Facebook page.

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"I just heard the final bell. Boxing is over," said an emotional Pacquiao, the only man to hold world titles in eight different divisions.

"I never thought this day would come as a I hang up my boxing gloves," said Pacquiao, as he thanked his fans all over the world.

This photo shows Manny Pacquiao (right) in action against Ricky Hatton in Las Vegas, US. File/Reuters

The announcement comes weeks after Pacquiao lost his last professional fight, against Cuban Yordenis Ugas in Las Vegas.

Pacquiao, who entered politics in 2010 as a congressman before being elected to the Senate, said last week he will make a tilt for the country's highest office.

Known for his fast footwork and blistering speed of punches, Pacquiao was widely regarded as one of the top offensive fighters in the sport's history.

Growing up in the south of the Philippines, Pacquiao's family was dirt-poor, prompting him to do odd jobs to survive. He stowed away on a boat to the capital Manila as a teenager, where he started competitive boxing.

Less than a year out from the elections, Pacquiao has risked political capital in a public stoush with Duterte, who rivals the boxer for the affections of many Filipinos and previously mentioned him as a possible successor.

He has also stirred controversy by backing Duterte's deadly drug war, which rights groups say has killed tens of thousands of mostly poor men and sparked an investigation by the International Criminal Court.