(MENAFN- Gulf Times) Silence gripped a big villa in Matar Qadeem, hosting more than 200 Manny Pacquiao fans yesterday, after the latter's defeat to Floyd Mayweather via a unanimous decision.
Filipino expatriates and people of other nationalities woke up as early as 4am to witness the match at Eve Events Catering and Services, which offered a buffet breakfast meal and a free viewing of what was described as the "Fight of the Century".
The 12 rounds of boxing saw a lot of excitement among the fans, who shouted and cheered loudly whenever Pacquiao got to land a punch on his opponent. However, hopes faded after the last round when Mayweather was seen celebrating in the ring.
As the result was announced, spectators, mostly Filipinos, started leaving the venue without saying a word.
Those who had not taken their breakfast seemed to have lost their appetite to eat and instead left to report to their respective duties.
Others expressed their frustration on social media, such as Facebook and Twitter, saying Pacquiao was "robbed of a win".
For some Pacquiao fans, they said Mayweather could have competed in a track-and-field race as he was better in running than in boxing.
Some Filipino expatriates said "boxing is dead" and a rematch is futile. "I didn't know that hugs and runs score more points than punches," said one Filipino netizen on Facebook. Another added, "The match was a waste of time and money."
The disappointment was also observed in some offices and business establishments in Doha where many employees are fans of Pacquiao. "When I heard the news that he lost, I stopped for a while and didn't know what to do. I wanted to go home and sleep," said an employee of a convenience store.
The atmosphere was the same in many flats and villas, whose residents had taken a QR125 subscription to see the bout.
Many Pacquiao fans who failed to watch the live telecast early morning preferred to do something else instead of watching the replay.
"But for us Filipinos, Manny Pacquiao is still the champion," said a government employee.
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