A DAY after missing the second half of practice due to a sprained ankle, the Gilas Pilipinas’ energizer Calvin Abueva was back in harness, doing things as only the man known as the “Beast” can.
Be it diving on the floor for looseballs, clogging up the lane with his cat-quick lateral movement or even meeting his Alaska teammate Sonny Thoss at the rim for a tremendous block, Abueva did not look like someone who 24 hours ago had to helplessly look on as his teammates scrimmaged while his injured ankle was being attended to by the team’s staff.
No wonder his Gilas teammates liken him to the comic book superhero “Wolverine” for his ability to shrug off pain and heal rapidly.
But the comparisons to the beloved member of the “X-Men” comic book series ends there as Abueva, superhero-like as he may be with his boundless energy on the floor, sat down in obvious pain immediately after practice ended.
With his ankle dipped in a bucket full of ice, Abueva was in clear discomfort but managed to grant Cebu Daily News a short interview.
“Masakit!” remarked the 6-foot-1 forward.
But a swollen enough would not be enough to keep him from attending practice especially with the Fiba Asia Men’s Championship in China, less than a week away.
“Kailangan kasi. Baka makalimutan yung ibang play. Baka mamaya mawala sa middle sa game eh, mahirap na,” said Abueva.
With a sense of urgency pervading over the Gilas’ training camp here in Cebu, Abueva was not only one to gut an injury out as Matt Ganuelas-Rosser was also back in action, a day after sitting out practice due to the flu.