Injured Fajardo raring to play; ban Blatche
LAGONGLONG spikers opened up their campaign with a come-from-behind victory over Talisayan in the 2017 Kuyamis Sportsfest Volleyball Open tournament on Saturday in Binuangan town, Misamis Oriental.
Anchored by the reliable troika of Jose Cagadas, John Gary Badic and Luth Jimeno, Lagonglong gamely took the first set, 25-18.
But things did not go well for them in the second set as they crumbled after holding a comfortable 20-12 lead.
A fierce rally by Talisayan ensued a 24-all deadlock and a thrilling add-two situation. Talisayan wrapped up the second set with a 26-24 victory aided by two successive return error smashes by Lagonglong.
Talisayan managed to sustain the momentum in the third set, 25-18 to take a 2-1 lead in their best-of-five encounter.
With their back against the wall, Lagonglong put up a brave stance to refute Talisayan in the fourth set, 25-17.
And in the deciding fifth set, the Lagonglong bets never let-up in turning the fight into a one-sided affair, 15-7.
Cagadas starred in Lagonglong’s first win with a total of 22 attack points on top
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 twoweek 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 actually 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 naturalized Filipinos if only to dispatch them for international play—at atrociously gargantuan fees.
Our players are now getting taller everyday. One example is Greg Slaughter, the towering 7-footer 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.