NO loss on the court could ever outweigh the pain of losing a loved one for La Salle rookie Vhoris Marasigan.
READ: How Topex found peace by staying off social media even before UAAP Season 87
He had to wait for at least another year before earning his shot to play for the Green Archers in UAAP Season 87.
But back in the preseason, Marasigan received what would be the most devastating phone call of his life.
It wasn’t because he was stripped of his roster spot or anything to that extent. It was bigger than that.
Questioning a lifelong dream
His biggest nightmare unfolded quickly as he learned of his 53-year-old father Norris’ passing shortly after La Salle’s PBA D-League game last April to a cardiac arrest.
Marasigan found out his dad was watching the very game he was playing before his final breath while sitting beside his mother in their hometown of Balayan, Batangas.
Five months were all that remained before he’d realize his UAAP dream. Yet after such an untimely tragedy, the young Green Archer seriously considered leaving his basketball career behind.
Marasigan’s family, however, didn’t let him take that route. Instead, he played through his UAAP rookie season — a stellar one to date — to honor his late father’s dream for him.
“Sobrang hirap nu’n kasi sobrang nasaktan ako nu’ng namatay ‘yung dad ko. Sabi ko sa sarili ko, susuko na ba ako o ipagpapatuloy ko pa ba,” Marasigan told SPIN.ph.
“Sabi ng family ko, push mo lang kung ano ‘yung pangarap ng tatay ko sa’kin, ipagpapatuloy ko pa.”
It was always meant to be for Vhoris
La Salle head coach Topex Robinson made the difficult decision of axing Marasigan from a stacked UAAP Season 86 title-winning squad last year.
But it never crossed the champion mentor’s mind to let the 21-year-old hotshot go altogether.
Instead, he asked Marasigan if he was willing to wait for one more year to which he agreed.
“Vhoris was eligible last year, but I asked him if he could still wait for one more year because those times, nandu’n sina Mark Nonoy, Ef (Escandor). He waited for that one more year to just get better and trusted us that we’re gonna give him this opportunity,” said Robinson.
“Obviously, bata pa. Even the way he decides sometimes, bata pa talaga. But you cannot just not take notice of the fight that he has. Alam mong ginagawa niya ‘to hindi lang para sa sarili niya kundi para sa pamilya niya kaya talagang maaasahan mo ‘tong bata.”
And it proved to be a worthwhile wait as a grieving yet eager Marasigan has even more to fight for in his first act in the UAAP.
“Nu’ng first game po namin, medyo may kaba pa ko nang konti. Aminado naman ako na may kaba. Pero sinabi ko po kay coach Topex na sa mga susunod na games, babawi ako.
“Nu’ng binibigyan na niya ako ng minuto, bumabawi po talaga ko, sabi ko nga sa sarili ko at para na rin sa pamilya ko.”
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