Just two months after helping University of the Philippines end its 36-year wait for a UAAP Men’s Basketball crown, CJ Cansino is set to enter another battle.
Cansino will have to undergo surgery to repair his right anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) and meniscus on Monday morning.
It will force the 6-foot-1 do-it-all guard to miss the entirety of UAAP Season 85.
Of course, Cansino is nervous heading into his second major operation or since he tore his left ACL back on November 10, 2018.
“Ngayon lang nag-sink in sa akin na ooperahan na pala ako bukas,” the 22-year-old shared to Tiebreaker Times. “After nung championship namin, hindi ako masyado naka-celebrate kasi nag-workout din ako kaagad in preparation for Season 85.
“Pero yung feeling ko ngayon… Alam ko kaya kong lagpasan ito pero siyempre nalulungkot lang ako kasi challenge ito sa una after ng surgery. Pero napagdaanan ko na rin naman ito at mas lalakas yung tuhod ko tulad nung last time.”
Cansino’s injury actually happened back on May 1 during UP’s second round clash against Ateneo.
With 39 seconds left in the third quarter of the game, Cansino and Chris Koon figured in a crash for the loose ball. Koon landed on Cansino’s right knee.
It forced Cansino to miss the entire semis and the first two games of the finals.
Still, Cansino played in the winner-take-all game, scoring 14 points in just 11 minutes of action — including the overtime-sending trey.
“Nung Game Two sabi ko sa sarili ko na sana manalo na kami kasi alam ko rin sa sarili ko na di ko hahayaan na di ako maglalaro ng Game Three kahit anong mangyari.
“Siguro yun na yung tinatawag nating puso — na wala ka nang maiisip kung hindi yung panu ka makakatulong sa team, na kahit alam mong may problema sa ‘yo gagawa ka pa rin ng paraan na makakatulong sa team,” he recalled.
As the swelling subsided, it was known that Cansino fully tore his ACL and meniscus.
It’s a tough blow for Cansino as Season 85 was supposed to be his final year in college.
Now, he will have to wait a whole year to finish his collegiate run. His offers to play overseas will have to wait as well.
“Prepared na naman na lahat from surgery to therapy,” he said. “Na-make sure naman ng UP na mabibigay sa akin lahat ng kailangan ko for recovery. Nung nalaman ng management na ACL siya, tinawagan din ako agad na kung ano ba ang kailangan ko kaya di rin ako nagwo-worry masyado.
“At yung sa sarili ko, siguro masabi ko lang wala namang tao ready sa mga ganitong pangyayari pero ang masasabi ko lang eh I have no choice kung hindi harapin ang lahat ng ito kasi ito yung pinili kong career.”
Admittedly, Cansino holds no grudges against Koon as he knows that what transpired during that fateful night in SM Mall of Asia Arena was a basketball play.
“For me part naman yun ng game. He’s competitive at competitive din ako kaya naiintindihan ko naman at aksidente rin yung nangyari.”
At 6:00 AM on Monday, Cansino will go under the knife at the Medical City in Pasig City.
What comes next will be a long, long battle.
Cansino will have to go through a months-long rehabilitation process. Then he will look to regain his lost strength and conditioning under the guidance of coach Luis De Mesa. Finally, he will have a re-introduction to basketball with coach Patrick Tancioco.
It’s the same, familiar road Cansino has been in four years ago. And just like that time, he looks to defy timelines, be ready by next summer, and be the old CJ come UAAP Season 86.
“Sa akin naman lahat ng challenge na dumarating sa akin tine-take ko lang as something positive palagi kasi alam ko na part ng journey ko yan,” he defiantly said like a true tiger, like a true fighting maroon.
“So another day, another challenge.”
