Injured Fajardo raring to play; ban Blatche
WITH June Mar Fajardo sidelined by injury, San Miguel Beer lost to Star in a close contest on Friday.
The 6-foot-10 giant from Pinagbungahan, Cebu, walked with a limp in reporting for that game at the Smart Araneta Coliseum—wearing street clothes.
Days earlier, he suffered a slight tear in his right calf muscle during the SMB-TNT Katropa contest with the Beermen winning, 97-91.
Dr. Svetlana Maris Aycado advised for a two-week rehab for Fajardo, whose stint in the Gilas Pilipinas’ campaign in the Fiba Asia Cup now hangs in the air.
The first week is restricted to a full rest for Fajardo and the succeeding week devoted to a strict strengthening session for a quick recovery—hopefully.
But Fajardo is undaunted, saying he would play for Gilas before boarding his jet for Lebanon on Sunday.
With him in the formidable mission in the Fiba Asia Cup are Calvin Abueva, Gabe Norwood, Jayson Castro, Terrence Romeo, Carl Bryan Cruz, Jio Jalalon, RR Pogoy and Matthew Wright.
Fajardo has a tough task as the new Gilas center in the absence of naturalized player Andray Blatche, the mercenary 7-footer opting out for unexplained reasons.
If you ask me, Blatche’s abhorrent absence should be reason enough to ban him from future competitions.
Better yet, let’s use him as the main reason to stop this nonsense of transforming Americans as for naturalized international Filipinos play—atif only atrociouslyto dispatch gargantuan them fees.
Our players are now getting taller everyday. One example is Greg Slaughter, the towering 7footer now back in action for Ginebra after a long absence due to an injury.
Too bad he is not yet 100 percent, otherwise, he would have made it to Lebanon.
But two other homegrown centers are in Lebanon with Fajardo—6-foot-7 Raymond Almazan and 6-foot-9 Japeth Fajardo.
Also in the team is Christian Standhardinger, a 6-foot-7 Fil-German who shone for Gilas in the recent Jones Cup in Taiwan.
Gilas will advance to the Fiba World Cup again with a Top 2 finish in Lebanon—the same as in 2013 when it landed second behind Iran in Manila.
“I’ll play if I’m OK,” said Fajardo in a pre-departure statement.
OK thanks, June Mar. Patriot personified.