DO you believe in miracle?
Roger Pogoy does especially after seeing himself back playing the game he loves the most on Sunday night or six months after being diagnosed with a myocarditis – a health condition where the heart muscles are inflamed and reduce the heart’s ability to pump blood.
The TNT guard admitted being concerned about his career when he first learned about it especially after he was told he could be out of action for at least six months.
Pogoy scores 11 points in return
But just three months after, Pogoy was back in harness and suited up for his first game in the PBA season with TNT in a 116-96 win over Phoenix during the final day of the Commissioner’s Cup eliminations at the Philsports Arena.
The Gilas Pilipinas gunner played for almost 21 minutes and finished with 11 points, three rebounds, and three assists in the all-important victory that formalized the Tropang Giga’s entry in the quarterfinals.
Pogoy described his situation as a miracle.
“Una kasi sabi ng doctor six months, so miracle talaga kaya salamat kay Lord. Kasi nagpa-MRI ako ulit, wala ng nakita, so talagang miracle talaga kasi pinaaga Niya,” said Pogoy after his first game back in almost half a year or since the FIBA World Cup.
Prayers, according to the 31-year-old Cebuano, helped him overcome one of the biggest challenges of his career.
“Unang-una, na-shock and na-down din (ako) kasi galing lang ako sa World Cup. Highest level of basketball galing ako dun, tapos biglang down,” he recalled.
“Pero wala akong magawa, andiyan na yan. Ang ginawa ko nag-pray na lang ako. Sabi ko kay Lord ikaw na ang bahala sa akin. Kung pabalikin Mo ako, kung ano ang plano Mo, basta tiwala lang ako sa Iyo.”
True enough, his second MRI test already showed no signs of his earlier condition that Pogoy was actually already cleared to play as early as December.
But he hasn’t in playing condition by that time that TNT management decided to defer his comeback in the Tropang Giga’s last assignment in the eliminations.
Pogoy still not 100 percent
“Pero kulang pa ako sa 5-on-5,” said Pogoy, who was already practicing with the Tropang Giga, but hasn’t join them yet in 5-on-5 scrimmages.
“Sabi ko sa sarili ko hindi matatapos ang conference na ito na hindi ako makakalaro, so kahit isang laro lang.”
It just so happened that in his comeback game, TNT’s quarterfinal hopes were on the line.
“Timing. Importante pa, kailangan manalo para makapag-playoffs. So maganda yung pagbalik ko,” said Pogoy.
The legs and his physical conditioning are not yet fully there, but with the quarterfinals set to start within the week, Pogoy hopes to continue getting into the groove and help TNT goes deep into the playoffs, notwithstanding the team will be up against top seed Magnolia.
But the most important thing is him coming back to play for TNT again.
“Happy ako na nakabalik ako,” said Pogoy.
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