Cambodian PM refuses to pay $5,000 he bet on Pacquiao

Cambodia’s Prime Minister Hun Sen (right) at the plenary session of the 26th Asean Summit in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia on April 27, 2015. AP PHOTO/JOSHUA PAUL

PHNOM PENH—The man who has ruled Cambodia for 30 years is so incensed by the result of the fight between Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather Jr. that he will not pay a $5,000 (P223,000) bet he lost in the bout.

Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen delivered a nine-minute rebuke of judges who ruled that Mayweather had squarely beaten the Filipino in their fight in Las Vegas last weekend.

Echoing many of Pacquiao’s Filipino compatriots who also cried foul, the 62-year-old Cambodian strongman accused the American officials of being biased toward Mayweather in the $400 million (P17.8 billion) fight.

“Yesterday, us viewers could barely give a point for Floyd, but the three judges unanimously decided Floyd was the winner,” Hun Sen said.

Hun Sen said he had made a $5,000 bet with an official on the match outcome, a bet he would no longer honor.

“I would not settle this, I will not give you the money,” he said without giving further details.

It was not clear in the story who was the bettor who picked Mayweather.

Hun Sen’s admission is somewhat surprising given gambling is technically illegal in Cambodia outside of licensed casinos, although there is a thriving black market for betting on everything from the English Premier League to local cockfights.

The strongman’s betting habits were not lost on many Cambodian social media users.

“Hun Sen violated the betting rules by gambling on boxing,” wrote Facebook user So Naro.

Hun Sen has ruled Cambodia with an iron fist for the last 30 years, tolerating little opposition.

He is a known for his love of sports, particularly football, and has previously broken off from speeches to give his thoughts on a match or a surprise score.

Tough and wily, Hun Sen is one of only a handful of political strongmen worldwide who have managed to cling to their posts for three decades.

He became prime minister at age 33 and is credited for the modest growth and stability in the country after the devastation by the communist Khmer Rouge regime in the 1970s.