INQUIRER Sports

MANILA, Philippines—Forget Ricky Hatton for a while.

Manny Pacquiao’s megabuck fight against the highly rated British slugger has to take a backseat as the Filipino boxing icon shoots baskets instead of throwing fists for one month.

Pacquiao will play for his own club, the GenSan MP Warriors, in the 2009 Conference II of Liga Pilipinas set to fire off on Jan. 14 in General Santos City.

Owned and managed by Pacquiao, the GenSan MP Warriors will host the Ilocos Bravehearts in the main game of a twin-bill which also features the Laguna Trace Stallions and the Zamboanga Amores.

Pacquiao, who recently beat Oscar De La Hoya in a welterweight bout, will play with brother Bobby in the month-long tournament.

But Liga Pilipinas CEO and president Noli Eala expressed some concern that Manny may get hurt and jeopardize his ring career.