The dilemma of battling a former family

Jan Auditor of the SWU Cobras tries to shake off the defense of a former teamate at the University of Cebu during their Cesafi basketball game last night. (CDN PHOTO/ LITO TECSON)

For a basketball player, it can be a disheartening sight to see people you’ve shed blood, sweat and tears with now standing on the opposite side of the court.

For Southwestern University’s Jan Auditor, it’s a reality he now faces after making the move from his long-time nest at the University of Cebu over to the Cobras lair.

All told, Auditor, a crafty shooting forward with a knack for scoring the ball, has frolicked in victory but has also endured heartbreak while donning the blue and yellow hues of the Webmasters. After hoisting the Cesafi championship in 2011 during the last playing year of 6-foot-10 behemoth June Mar Fajardo, Auditor stuck with UC through the lean times, even leading an underwhelming Webmasters team in scoring last year.

But with the opportunity to add another title to his resume too enticing to ignore, Auditor decided to transfer to the Southwestern University side, home of the reigning Cebu champions. It was a decision he mulled over for many nights, says Auditor.

“It wasn’t easy to transfer to another school and team. Aside from the fact na mura na nako sila ug mga igsuon, I learned to become who I am today because of UC,” he shared. “I really felt the ups and downs that come with being a student-athlete. But in spite of these, we really didn’t give up and fought through it. That’s why even though I’m already with SWU, I will always be proud to say that I came from UC.”

Auditor has been nothing but a welcome addition to a Cobras squad racked with academic issues that left them with just a nine-man squad. A grizzled veteran who has endured his fair share of basketball battles, Auditor still could not help but feel anxious heading to their match against his former comrades.

“Of course, excited and a bit nervous because I owe this school a lot. It’s because of them that I got molded into the basketball player and the person that I am now. They taught me the right discipline, the right attitude and how to be responsible in life. I’m nervous to play against them,” divulged Auditor.

Still, Auditor has his eyes trained on the goal at hand and that is to help his undermanned Cobras defend the throne, numbers be damned, even if that meant bowling over the team he once called family.

“This game will be fun. This will be one game that I will never forget and will treasure for the rest of my life,” said Auditor.