Pacquiao spends time on chess, darts

LOS ANGELES – After a heavy load at the gym, Manny Pacquiao took it light and easy at home in Larchmont Park here Saturday.

Pacquiao opened the doors to his $2 million residence to his friends. By dinner time close to 70 guests filled every corner of the house.

There seemed to be enough food for everybody.

At the main dining table, chess matches were being played, and inside the spacious garage with an automated door a mini-darts tournament was taking place.

The living room was occupied as the giant plasma TV mounted on a gray wall showed the Final Four match between Kentucky and Wisconsin.

A few others gathered in the kitchen area while those who could stand the cold weather were on the front yard, like they were watching over the boxer’s Ferrari.

Someone was tasked to man the gate.

A long line of cars filled both sides of the road fronting the Pacquiao residence. It looked like there was a big party going on inside.

Pacquiao likes it that way.

The iconic boxing figure played a couple of chess matches against sports scribes Winchell Campos and Roy Luarca with whom he had a win and a draw.

In the match against Campos, there was some friendly banter because Pacquiao hadn’t beaten the former Manila scribe and now an official member of Team Pacquiao for some time now.

“Yun na yun? (Is that it?),” Pacquiao blurted after a late move by his opponent.

And when challenged hard, the 35-year-old Pacquiao said, “Basta ako hindi tumatakbo! (I never run away).”

Pacquiao was wrapping up the match, headed for the win, when he sang a line from a famous commercial back home, “Wala pa ring tatalo sa ... .”

“Kanina pa ako naglalaro (I’ve been playing for some time now),” said Pacquiao before leaving the table.

Then it was on for another set of friends playing darts.

“Dito naman tayo,” said Pacquiao.

It was close to 9 p.m. and he was still up and running.

Pacquiao was having fun.