McDonald’s, pins and Pacquiao

RIO DE JANEIRO – Athletes from all the 206 competing nations should watch what they’re eating here. They should watch their weight.

There’s more than enough food for everybody inside the Athletes Village, more than enough for the 10,000 athletes who are here for the Games.

The main dining hall is open 24/7. It has everything on it.

There’s Asian and Continental from morning, noon and night. Fruits, power bars and yogurt are the most common dessert for the athletes.

Inside the hall the size of a football field, athletes come and go, from the stars of the Argentine basketball team to members of the Russian delegation.

International Olympic Committee president Thomas Bach has been around a couple of times, and once he had pictures taken with the Filipinos.

Some were lucky to receive an IOC pin from its president.

There’s another dining area for the delegates, and it’s a casual one, a smaller one that offers less variety but has also become as popular to Filipinos because it’s closer to their quarters.

At the Olympic Plaza, however, came the big one a couple of days ago.

McDonald’s, the number one fast-food chain, opened an outlet, and just caters to everybody, including Arvidas Sabonis, the retired NBA star from Lithuania.

Sabonis, who stands 7’ 2,” was lining up Tuesday, perhaps going for a Big Mac or two. He was so tall his head almost touched the ceiling.

It’s eat-all-you-can at McDonald’s here. Best thing? It’s free.

**** RIO DE JANEIRO – Even in his absence, Filipino boxing superstar Manny Pacquiao’s name rings a bell here during the Olympics.

“Where are you from ?” Filipinos are commonly asked. And immediately after the reply would be, “Oh, Manny Pacquiao.”

A young Mexican volunteer who’s been assigned to the Philippine delegation, Enrique Gonzales, often talks about the Filipino boxing icon.

“We love him in Mexico. When he fought (Floyd) Mayweather, we rooted for him,” said Gonzales, who came here and shouldered his own airfare.

He said he applied as volunteer four years ago, and got too excited when told that he was chosen to serve the Rio Olympics.

“One day I would visit the Philippines, and hope to meet Pacquiao,” he said, adding that it was too bad for him the eight-division champion declined to see action here.

“That would have been great,” said Gonzales.

A Brazilian journalist, Fabio Alexo of UOL, joined Filipinos in a table for lunch, and started talking about Pacquiao.

He said even Brazilians, who have more UFC fighters than boxers, are Pacquiao fans.

“People here know him. And when he fought Mayweather, we carried news of the fight here in Brazil,” he said.

“If you talk to Filipinos here in Brazil, you always talk about Pacquiao,” said Alexo.

Pacquiao, you see, is everywhere.