GAB Banal had to play with a blurred vision on Wednesday in the PBA Commissioner’s Cup after being accidentally hit in the right eye during practice.
The 32-year-old Blackwater forward said he basically played against NorthPort with just one good eye as the injury has been affecting his vision on the court.
What made the matter worse was the Bossing losing the game at the Smart Araneta Coliseum after the NorthPort Batang Pier rallied for an 87-83 win.
“Sayang talo. It could have been better if nanalo kami,” said Banal afterwards.
READ: Gab Banal finally gets playing due: ‘Ang sarap maglaro']
The son of former PBA player and coach Joel Banal did struggle in the 27 minutes he played, finishing with just a single point on 0-of-6 shooting, although he had three rebounds and four assists.
“It’s kind of bothering me,” he said.
Banal got inadvertently elbowed in practice by teammate Yousef Taha that caused a cut and needed seven stitches to close.
It will take a couple more days before his vision returns to normal.
He’s not discounting the likelihood of using a goggles in the Bossing’s next game.
“Yun nga dapat. Tingin ko nga. Medyo sensitive kasi. So let’s see next game,” Banal added. “I’m basically playing with just one eye. Mahirap.”
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