CHRISTIAN Standhardinger remained committed to Gilas Pilipinas even after he decided to skip the first window of the Fiba Asia Cup 2021 qualifiers in November.
Standhardinger expressed his desire to represent the country again even though he will be missing the first window of the Asia qualifiers where the Philippines will face Thailand on February 20 and Indonesia on February 23.
The Fil-German said he's still not ready to return to competitive play because he is still strengthening his knee.
“My knee was an issue in the last year but I was able to figure it out by strengthening it by going on a certain diet so that it won’t be inflamed,” said Standhardinger. “What you need to do is you build the muscle up as good as possible and it can compensate for your injury in the knee and you can keep playing and go crazy.”
Standhardinger said he took an extended break after NorthPort bowed out in the semifinal stage of the PBA Governors’ Cup.
The NorthPort center said he wasn't informed early about his inclusion in the 24-man Gilas pool, and therefore wasn't able to prepare his knee for the qualifiers.
“After we were done in the semifinals, obviously, there was a longer break, longer than I ever had. I decided that I take a lot of time off because I played for the last two years straight," the Fil-German big man said.
"Then, unfortunately, I would say [there was a] late notice that I’m actually in this pool. I came here today telling the coaches, I have to build up the muscles in my knee and then I can go hard. Two weeks is not enough for me to build those muscles and be ready and then go all out and learn the system. It’s just not possible. It’s a risk to get injured and that risk is very high,” said Standhardinger.
Despite sitting out the first window, Standhardinger vowed to be prepared once called upon again to represent the country. He also promised to be in peak form for Gilas in the second window of the qualifiers slated in November.
“Next window, if they need me, they will communicate with me and I know when I can go hard and I can get myself ready at the peak moment because you don’t want to play for the national team if you cannot give your best and you don’t want to play if there is an injury or a risk of more injury,” said Standhardinger.
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