WITH June Mar Fajardo widely regarded as the best player in the country today, Smart Gilas Pilipinas knows it can’t afford to miss his services this time around for the FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament.
Fortunately for the Nationals, the concerns and doubts about Fajardo’s availability has been erased as the two-time reigning Most Valuable Player of the Philippine Basketball Association returned to practice Monday night at the Meralco Gym after shrugging off his latest injury.
After taking several practice sessions off over the weekend with a bruised right knee, Fajardo returned to training in full force, showing that he is fine and the injury that he attained last week isn’t serious.
Still, Fajardo continues to have therapy sessions for his right knee to heal fully.
He’ll get the privilege of buying his knee more time to rest as Gilas took a rest Tuesday but will be right back to training again Wednesday.
The excitement about the front-court duo of Fajardo and naturalized import Andray Blatche intensifies as the country is hoping that the their combination and their broad shoulders can carry the entire team to the Rio Olympics.
For the first time since the FIBA World Cup in 2014, the upcoming FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament will be the first team-up of Fajardo and Blatche, an agile and huge combination up front.
Meanwhile, the entire delegation of the PBA is bound for Japan today to conduct its scheduled board meeting.
Various topics will be discussed, including the future of the National team, the schedule of next season as well as the upcoming Governors’ Cup.