THE grandiose christening of his daughter Queen Elizabeth over and done with, boxing hero Manny Pacquiao kept in shape yesterday by playing basketball in his hometown of General Santos City prior to a medical mission in Glan, North Cotabato, today as part of his commitment to help the poor.

Pacquiao?s friend and confidant Rex ?Wakee? Salud, one of the 32 godfathers of Queenie, the second daughter of Pacquiao and wife Jinkee, said the world?s no. 1 pound-for-pound fighter pushed back his departure for Feb. 26 and was hoping he could obtain a visa to fly directly from Manila to London, instead of having to fly via Los Angeles.

While Pacquiao was fulfilling his family obligations and his charitable work, Ricky Hatton was in the gym in Ashton just outside Manchester continuing his preparation, which he began last week. Hatton and Pacquiao clash in Las Vegas on May 2.

Hatton?s British trainer Lee Beard said the battle with Pacquiao was a massive fight for Hatton and he was taking his training very seriously after returning from a Caribbean cruise with his family and 30-year-old girlfriend Jennifer Dooley. Hatton proposed to Dooley on Valentine?s Day and sealed the engagement with a large diamond ring.

Pacquiao, too, gifted wife Jinkee with a huge diamond ring and earrings, while training for a fight at the gym of Salud in Cebu City last year.

Although she is always at ringside at Hatton?s fights, Dooley said she feels sick in the stomach when the British champion gets into the ring.

Both fighters are expected to step up training after the promotional tour stops in Hatton?s hometown of Manchester City and London with Pacquiao likely to report to Freddie Roach?s Wild Card gym on March 3.

The Manchester promotional stop will be at the Trafford Center at 12:30 p.m. on Saturday. They will then get together for a press conference in Central London with the venue most likely to be the Imperial War Museum.

Pacquiao and Hatton who will be accompanied by Top Rank promoter Bob Arum and trainers Roach and Floyd Mayweather Sr. in the promotional stops, have much in common. One of the most obvious is that both fighters have a fine working relationship and a great respect for their trainers although Roach has worked with Pacquiao since his conquest of Lelohonolo Ledwaba to win the World Boxing Council super bantamweight title in June 2001, while Mayweather worked with Hatton and developed great chemistry only during the Paul Malignaggi fight last year. Ronnie Nathanielsz