JUNE Mar Fajardo bared he was already been playing hurt as early as the second window of the opening round of the FIBA World Cup Asian qualifiers.
The 6-foot-10 San Miguel Beer center said he didn’t make a big deal out of it and instead, continued to play through the pain.
Last week, new broke out that doctors found a stress fracture on his right shin that will keep the four-time PBA MVP out of action for at least two months.
“Kailangan kong sundin yung payo ng doctor kasi mahirap nasa buto (yung injury),” said Fajardo, who was in street clothes when he watched San Miguel Beer open its PBA Governors Cup campaign with a 125-112 thrashing of NLEX.
“Hindi ko puwedeng ipilit kasi yun ang advice ng doctor.”
The injury will not only keep Fajardo out of the Beermen’s campaign, but also ruled him out of Gilas Pilipinas games in the second round of the qualifiers next week.
The Cebuano big man recalled hurting his shin at the tailend of the Philippine Cup eliminations and playing through the injury during the second and third windows of the first round of the Fiba qualifiers.
“May isang game kami na nasipa siya sa shin,” said Fajardo, looking back at how it all started. “Namaga lang siya, parang nabugbog lang. Kaya nilalaro ko lang. 'Nung finals ng All-Filipino, sumasakit na siya kaya nag-pain killer na ako.”
Fajardo said he had the injury examined just before the Commissioner’s Cup, but kept on playing when X-rays came out negative.
But the pain persisted during the best-of-seven finals of the midseason conference which the Beermen lost to Ginebra in six games, the SMB big man added.
“Sabi ko sa PT namin parang iba 'yung feeling ko,” said Fajardo.
With playoffs games held every other day and the Beermen advancing to the finals anew, Fajardo said he had to delay being examined..
When he finally had it X-rayed again, it was there that doctors saw the crack on his shin.
Fajardo, who was wearing a protective boots, showed media men a photo of the X-ray result.
“May crack yung bone kaya kailangan ipahinga ko ng husto,” said Fajardo, who was wearing a protective boot when he showed mediamen an X-ray of the injury. “First week ko halos nasa kwarto lang ako, lalabas lang ako pag kakain.”
Fajardo will begin strengthening his core this week, but basketball-related activities will have to wait.
“Wala muna yung talon at mga takbo,” said the Cebuano native.
Doctors expect Fajardo to be back in action by middle or end of October at the latest, which should make him available for Gilas in the second window of the second round of the Fiba qualifiers in November.
But for the moment, he’ll just be a big supporter of the team on the sidelines when it plays Iran on Sept. 13 in Tehran, and Qatar on Sept. 17 behind closed doors at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
“Sayang talaga, pero wala naman akong magagawa,” said Fajardo, who is expected to attend Gilas' first practice on Monday at the Meralco gym.
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