WHILE his Gilas Pilipinas teammates were ganging up on the fallen Australia Boomers players, June Mar Fajardo, the gentle giant that he was, shied away until the free-for-all was done.
For that, he and two Gilas teammates – Gabe Norwood and Baser Amer – were spared from ejection and left to finish the game until there was only one of them left due to fouling out.
Speaking to the press after San Miguel Beermen’s win over Blackwater Elite in the 2018 PBA Commissioner’s Cup on Wednesday, Fajardo said it was his choice to avoid joining the melee, as what his parents taught him.
“Mahirap din kasi kung papatol ka sa init ng sitwasyon, mas lalala lang iyong sitwasyon. Tapos worst pa noon baka ano pa ang mangyari sayo, ’di ba?” said the four-time PBA MVP.
“Kung pupwedeng iwasan, iwas lang, ’di ba? Hindi lahat sa sitwasyon iyong pagiging matapang, nakikipagsuntukan. Hindi mo nasusukat doon iyong tapang. Minsan iyong tapang mababase mo sa taas ng pasensiya,” he added.
The Cebuano center recalled that, in his entire PBA career, he was involved in a skirmish just once – during a game in the 2014 PBA Philippine Cup – and his mother scolded him for it.
“After nangyari iyon, parang umiyak iyong mama ko, tinawagan ako,” Fajardo said. “Sabi niya ’wag daw ganoon kasi part iyon ng game, na tactics iyon, so since noon wala nang away.”
“Siyempre nakakainis ’pag ’di mo maiwasan iyong physicality pero siyempre nasa iyo rin iyon. Kasi gusto ko lang mag-focus sa game, gusto kong mag-improve. Hindi ako mag-i-improve kung papatol ako sa ganoon,” he added.
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For the second time in his career, Filipino boxer Harmonito dela Torre will be seeing action in a card that will be headlined by Filipino boxing legend Manny “Pacman” Pacquiao.
Dela Torre will be taking on unbeaten Chinese fighter Yongqiang Yang in the undercard of the Pacquiao-Lucas Matthysse duel on July 15 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
“I am very happy to be fighting again in the undercard of Senator Pacquiao. I am training hard as I am facing an undefeated Chinese boxer,” said dela Torre, who fought for the first time in a Pacquiao undercard in 2013.
“Yang is taller than me but that does not bother me as I know a lot of Filipinos will be in the arena and I will use that as my extra power during the fight,” added the 5-foot-8 slugger.
Dela Torre (19-1-0 win-loss draw, 12 KOs) is aiming to get back on track after losing for the first time in his career against Mongolian Tugstsogt Nyambayar on Nov. 18 last year in Las Vegas, USA.
According to Jim Claude Manangquil, CEO of Sanman Promotions, Dela Torre is used to fighting in the big stage and will step into the ring very well prepared.
“Harmonito is very confident and has been looking good in the training. He’s been here before so there’s no pressure on his part,” said Manangquil./PN
