Filipino boxer Manny Pacquiao, who has been making headlines for all the wrong reasons after his recent controversial remarks about gay people, has hit another low. Nike has ended its relationship with the star boxer from Philippines, after he said that gays were "worse than animals."
A Member of the House of Representatives in the Philippines, Pacquiao made the remark in a TV interview by TV5 Network in his native country, which did not go down well with Nike.
"We find Manny Pacquiao's comments abhorrent," BBC quoted Nike as saying.
"Nike strongly opposes discrimination of any kind and has a long history of supporting and standing up for the rights of the LGBT community."
Pacquiao's preparation for his fight against Timothy Bradley in his last professional fight on April 9 might also take a hit after such an episode.
Social media users too have slammed the boxer for drawing comparison between gays and animals and a petition also has been filed on charge.org against Pacquiao.
Meanwhile, the Filipino boxer seems to have understood the complexity of the situation, which could tarnish his image. He is one of the most respected boxers of the current generation.
Pacquiao's comment, as expected, was not well received by the LGBT community in the Philippines as well and he apologised to all the people, who he hurt with his remarks, via his Facebook page.
"I'm sorry for hurting people by comparing homosexuals to animals," Pacquiao said. "Please forgive me for those I've hurt. I still stand on my belief that I'm against same sex marriage because of what the Bible says, but I'm not condemning LGBT. I love you all with the love of the Lord. God Bless you all and I'm praying for you."
Nike has always been very strict when it comes to such things. Earlier the sports brand cut ties with athletes such as Oscar Pistorius, who was charged with murdering his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp in 2014, and Lance Armstrong after his involvement in a doping scandal.
